Tax Works Toward Start in Pegasus World Cup

R.A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Hugh Lynch, and Corms Racing Stable's Tax returned to the work tab Dec. 30 at Palm Meadows Training Center. The 3-year-old Arch gelding, who is pointing towards a start in the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Sponsored by Runhappy (G1) at Gulfstream Park, completed a four-furlong move in :48.95. 

"I was really happy with him," said trainer Danny Gargan. "Usually for his first work back after he runs I don't work him as fast as he can go. He did everything really easy and galloped out really nicely in 1:01 and change. I was really pleased with him he's doing really well right now."

The breeze marked the first timed work for Tax since he finished second in the Nov. 30 Discovery Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack. The effort was the first for the gelding off two-month layoff which followed his off-the-board finish in the Aug. 24  Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. 

"He got sick after we shipped to Oklahoma so we missed a few key races," Gargan said. Tax was originally slated to make his next start in the Sept. 29 Oklahoma Derby (G3) at Remington Park but was scratched after coming down with a fever. 

"We brought him back off the layoff and he ran a really good second in the Discovery Stakes and had his lifetime best numbers," said Gargan. "I couldn't be happier. I think he's doing better right now than he's ever done in his life."

Tax opened his sophomore season with a win in the Feb. 2 Withers Stakes (G3) and followed that effort with a game runner-up finish to Tacitus next out in the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2), both at Aqueduct. He finished off the board in the May 4 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs before taking fourth in the June 8 Belmont Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. 

Shipped to Saratoga, Tax turned in an impressive performance in the Jim Dandy (G2), again battling into the stretch with Tacitus to win by three-quarters of a length. 

While the recent changes to the purse structure of the Pegasus from $9 million to $3 million—along with significant changes in rules regarding the use of race day medication—has some connections pointing their horses towards different targets, Gargan said the Pegasus was always a possibility for Tax.  

"It's about timing really," said Gargan. "This was always in the back of our mind, thinking about the Pegasus or the Saudi Cup. But he's doing good here and he's not the world's best shipper so we decided that we would be pointing towards this race. 

"We're training like we're going to run. With all the rain down here you miss training but it has been rough all over the country. If something happens and there is a hiccup there are always other races down the road. He's a horse that has won without Lasix and not many have done that. They've changed all the rules with the Pegasus and right now it's no Lasix, no race day medication, and I guess there will be a list of other things. We will have to see how it plays out."

While the field for the January race has yet to take shape, Gargan said Tax's biggest competition will come in the form of Fox Hill Farm's Omaha Beach . The Pegasus will likely be the last start for the son of War Front  before he retires to take on his second career as a stallion at Spendthrift Farm.

"Obviously Omaha Beach will be the big favorite," Gargan said. "He is a good horse and he will be the horse to beat. We're doing really good and hopefully we can run big. Our horse is pretty versatile. If there is no speed he can run up on it and if there is a ton of speed he can sit off of it. We just have to hope everything goes well and we make it there that day."

Across the country in Arkansas, fellow Pegasus hopeful Bravazo breezed a bullet five furlongs in 1:01 flat. The Calumet Farm homebred, who is trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, finished fourth in this year's renewal of the Pegasus World Cup and has made only one other start in 2019, running eighth in the Nov. 29 Clark Stakes presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) at Churchill Downs. 

Also working at Palm Meadows Monday was Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law, a 2-year-old son of Constitution  who most recently finished third in the Nov. 30 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. Trained by Barclay Tagg, the winner of Belmont's Oct. 5 Champagne Stakes (G1) went four furlongs over the dirt in :50 2/5.