Derby Contenders Haikal, Tax Breeze at Belmont Park

A pair of New York-based Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) contenders breezed April 25 at Belmont Park, where Haikal completed five furlongs in 1:01.21 and Tax worked a half-mile on the training track in :47 4/5. 

Shadwell Stable's homebred Haikal, winner of the March 9 Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack, pleased trainer Kiaran McLaughlin Thursday morning with his work on Belmont's main track. Haikal, who was a closing third in the April 6 Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2), ranks 10th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 70 points.

The Daaher bay, who posted a bullet breeze April 19 in :47.59 at Belmont, was in hand under exercise rider Luis Perlaya while traveling outside of unraced 3-year-old stablemate Taamer. The pair traveled together from the top of the lane with Haikal taking control at the wire and galloping out well in front.

"I loved what I saw this morning. He kept going out and finished strong. It was an excellent work," McLaughlin said. "He went a little fast last week, but it was probably the track. This week was really nice. The way he galloped out and the way he worked, he looked really good. In hand. I really like this work better this week."

Haikal will ship by van to Churchill Downs Sunday afternoon and arrive in Louisville, Ky., early Monday morning, with his conditioner slated to arrive Tuesday at the historic track in search of his first Kentucky Derby win with his ninth starter.

"It's great to get there. It's very hard to get there. It's very hard to get a horse that's eligible points-wise and a horse that is doing very well at this time of the year," McLaughlin said. "We're excited, and it's a great owner that we've been with for 25 years, so it's fabulous. He's a homebred, so the whole farm in Lexington gets to enjoy it, and a lot of them will be there. My whole team, my assistant Joe Lee, and my staff have done a great job with this horse all winter. It's great to get there, and hopefully we'll be in good shape tomorrow (exiting the work)."

Also putting the final touches on his Derby preparations, Tax recorded the second-fastest of 48 works on the surface at the four-furlong distance. 

Owned by R.A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Hugh Lynch, and Corms Racing Stable, the 3-year-old gelded son of Arch impressed trainer Danny Gargan when he breezed in company with assistant trainer Rolando Quevedo aboard. 

"I thought he worked really tremendous," Gargan said. "We put a target in front of him because he likes to run at something, and :47 and change is fast today. I worked a few horses earlier today, and no one worked that fast. Divine Miss Grey went :48 and change, and she's a good work horse. The gallop out was impressive, and he's training really well. Obviously, he's bred to go longer, and we train our horses to gallop out big. When you're going a mile and a quarter, you want to have a fit horse."

Third in the Remsen Stakes (G2) as a juvenile, Tax made his sophomore debut a winning one, taking the Feb. 2 Withers Stakes (G3) at the Big A, and his most recent effort was a close runner-up finish behind Tacitus in the Wood Memorial. He is scheduled to ship to Churchill Sunday.