Tax (Arch) and Tacitus (Tapit) have knocked heads in four consecutive starts, with Tacitus winning the GII Wood Memorial S. and finishing in front of Tax in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont S., but Tax got the better of Tacitus by three-quarters of a length in Saturday's GII Jim Dandy S. Both horses emerged from the race well and appear headed to a fifth-straight meeting with both pointing to the GI Travers S. Aug. 24.
“He came out well. He walked great, and looks good,” Tax's trainer Danny Gargan said Sunday morning. “I'm really happy with how he came out of the race.”
Tacitus stumbled badly and nearly went to his nose leaving the gate for the Jim Dandy, but trainer Bill Mott reported his charge suffered no ill effects from the eventful start.
“We got lucky,” said Mott. “He's good.”
Focus will turn to older horses this coming weekend with the $1 million GI Whitney H. scheduled Aug. 3. The ever-popular Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}), a two-time G1 Dubai World Cup winner and the richest active horse in training, had his last major work before the race Sunday morning, going seven furlongs in 1:27.31 over the main track. Last seen finishing third in the GI Metropolitan H. at Belmont, Thunder Snow had exercise rider Walter Lynch up.
“He's worked well,” said Tommy Burns, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor. “Initially, [bin Suroor] wanted 1:28 so we got what we wanted. There was another horse working around the same time in front us, so that gave him something to aim at. I was pleased with that and once he went past that worker, he pulled up, which is what he would do if he was working with a lead horse back home.”
Also targeting the Whitney is multiple graded stakes winner Vino Rosso (Curlin), who breezed Saturday over the Oklahoma track, getting four furlongs in :48.88. Vino Rosso's last start was a victory in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita.
“He's doing excellent,” said conditioner Todd Pletcher. “He worked well yesterday and has come back good. All systems are go for the Whitney.”
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