Tacitus Arrives in Dubai After Saudi Cup Run

Juddmonte Farms homebred Tacitus has arrived at Meydan for the March 28 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1). 

The Bill Mott-trained multiple grade 2 winner, who has placed in four grade 1 races, has reportedly settled in well after the short trip from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The son of three-time leading sire Tapit  and champion older mare Close Hatches exits a fifth-place finish in the Feb. 29 Saudi Cup.

"Everything went well," assistant trainer Riley Mott said. "He got in really early (Wednesday) morning at about 1 a.m. and looks good. We'll take it lightly with him the next few days and likely just keep him on the jogging track near the quarantine center. The U.S. horses aren't used to the longer walk to the track, so we will adjust how we train him going into the World Cup and maybe go to the main track every other day. We will keep him fresh and probably have a couple works."

In the Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racetrack, the long-striding 4-year-old raced inside from post 2 but lacked room when the real running started midway through the turn of the 1,800-meter (1 1/8-mile) one-bend race. The Dubai World Cup will be a stretch back out to 2,000 meters (1 1/4 miles) and two turns, which is a change the colt's connections seem happy to see. In three races at 1 1/4 miles, he finished third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1), second in the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1), and third in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), moved up by the stewards in the latter race after the disqualification of Maximum Security.

"I was really impressed with his (Saudi Cup) performance," Riley Mott continued. "If you watch his race, he lacked some room going into the turn and was parked behind Benbatl, waiting for him to make his move or come off the rail. No excuses, but when it was time to get going, he had to hesitate, and from that point to the wire, he didn't lose any ground with the leaders. He stayed the course with them and didn't back up, while finishing behind two American champions (winner Maximum Security and runner-up Midnight Bisou). His frame, his breeding, and his previous races say he's a two-turn horse, so that extra furlong will be intriguing."

In 10 starts, Tacitus has three victories, three seconds, and two thirds, which has earned him $2,677,500 in prize money. Bill Mott won the initial Dubai World Cup with Cigar and was third in 2015 with Lea .

Tacitus joins a field expected to include 2019 runner-up Gronkowski, Japanese star Chrysoberyl, Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) winner Sir Winston, and DWC Carnival star Benbatl. More horses will hope to qualify for the race in the March 7 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1).