A Dandy Effort by Tax

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A dramatic stumble at the start by 8-5 favorite Tacitus (Tapit) left the announced crowd of 34,517 on a sunsplashed afternoon at Saratoga completely stunned as they sprung the latch in Saturday's GII Jim Dandy S.

The overachieving former claimer Tax (Arch), meanwhile, a good second to the handsome gray earlier this spring in the GII Wood Memorial S. at the Big A, turned the tables on that one with a hard-fought, 3/4-length decision after sitting a perfect stalking trip. Tacitus, runner-up in the GI Belmont S., ran a remarkable race to finish second. It was another 3 3/4 lengths back to 'TDN Rising Star' Global Campaign (Curlin) in third.

The GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 24 will be next for Tax, per trainer Danny Gargan.

“We got the perfect trip and it worked out,” Gargan said. “[The Travers] is the goal, so hopefully if he comes out of this well, we're in. I think he likes this track and he likes it here, so that's something we're pushing towards and hoping we make.”

Tax broke alertly from his inside draw and led them on their journey into clubhouse turn, but backed off as the keyed-up GI Preakness S. winner War of Will (War Front) took over through an opening quarter in a :24.89. Tax settled kindly and was content to chase in second through a half mile in :48.80. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. made his move on the far turn and Tax took command as the six-horse field bunched up at the top of the stretch. Tax wandered some to the outside under left-handed encouragement down the lane and Tacitus miraculously looked every bit a danger rallying along the inside after his impossible start, but Tax proved too tough, holding the Juddmonte homebred safe to pull off the slight upset. War of Will, ninth in the final leg of the Triple Crown, tired to fifth.

“When the speed horse [Global Campaign] didn't break that sharp, I changed my plan,” Ortiz Jr. said. “I just decided to go. I told myself, 'I don't want to be down on the rail.' When I got outside in the clear, I held it. That was my plan. We never expected War of Will to be in front. When I let him run, he picked it up. I let him go and when I asked and said, 'Let's go,' he was feeling great.”

Tax, campaigned in partnership by R. A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Hugh Lynch and Corms Racing Stable, was claimed from breeders Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider and trainer Ben Colebrook for $50,000 out of a winning maiden effort at Keeneland last fall. Third at 17-1 in the GII Remsen S. Dec. 1, Tax overcame a stumble at the start to gamely capture the GIII Withers S. Feb. 2. Just 1 1/4 lengths adrift Tacitus in the Wood Memorial, Tax crossed the line 15th-elevated to 14th via disqualification–in the GI Kentucky Derby. He rebounded nicely with a close fourth in the Belmont S. last time.

“It's a wide-open division, he was unfortunate a couple of times,” Gargan said. “The Derby was a throw-out race because of the way the break went and the way the track was. If you take the Derby out, he's run as good as anyone all year. With the right trip and the right situation, he can be right there. He's a gelding, so he will get better with age. When a horse like this just matures and gets bigger and stronger, he can be any kind of horse at the end of the year. I'm really, really happy with him.”

Pedigree Notes:

Tax hails from a very deep Claiborne and Adele Dilschneider family that started with his third dam MGSW Wild Applause (Northern Dancer), who was purchased by Claiborne's Seth Hancock for $1.025 million carrying a foal by Forty Niner at the 1992 Keeneland November Sale. She proved to be a blue hen, producing the likes of Tax's second dam MGSW and MGISP dam Yell (A.P. Indy), as well as MGSW sire Roar (Forty Niner), GSW Blare of Trumpets (Fit to Fight) and GISW Eastern Echo (Damascus). Her daughters and grandaughters are responsible for top runners such as GSW and sire Congrats (A.P. Indy); GSP Claiborne stallion Flatter (A.P. Indy); MGSW & MGISP Ironicus (Distorted Humor), who also stands at Claiborne; MGSW On Leave (War Front) and graded winners Norumbega (Tiznow), Hunting (Coronado's Quest) and Quiet Harbor (Silver Deputy). In addition to Tax's dam Toll, Yell is responsible for SW Cheery (Distorted Humor), who in turn produced MGISW Elate (Medaglia d'Oro), and GISP Chide (Blame). Tax is the fifth foal and first black-type winner out of Toll, who did not produce a foal in 2017, but had an Orb colt in 2018 and was sold to Charles Fipke for $50,000 carrying a foal by Blame at last year's Keeneland November Sale. The resulting foal was a filly born Jan. 14 of this year and Toll was bred back to Fipke's Danish Dynaformer.

Saturday, Saratoga
JIM DANDY S.-GII, $600,000, Saratoga, 7-27, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:49.28, ft.
1–TAX, 120, g, 3, by Arch
1st Dam: Toll, by Giant's Causeway
2nd Dam: Yell, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Wild Applause, by Northern Dancer
O-R. A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Lynch, Hugh and Corms Racing Stable; B-Claiborne Farm & Adele B. Dilschneider (KY); T-Danny Gargan; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $330,000. Lifetime Record: 8-3-2-1, $756,300. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Tacitus, 122, c, 3, Tapit–Close Hatches, by First Defence. O-Juddmonte Farms, Inc.; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-William I. Mott. $120,000.
3–Global Campaign, 120, c, 3, Curlin–Globe Trot, by A.P. Indy. ($250,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Sagamore Farm, LLC and WinStar Farm, LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Stanley M. Hough. $72,000.
Margins: 3/4, 3 3/4, HF. Odds: 4.50, 1.60, 2.70.
Also Ran: Laughing Fox, War of Will, Mihos.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.