War of Will Leads Slate of Key Workers at Saratoga

Gary Barber's Preakness Stakes (G1) winner War of Will breezed in company with John C. Oxley's Strike Silver July 13 at 5:45 a.m., as the sun rose over the Saratoga main track.

With Tyler Gaffalione in the irons, War of Will, breezing outside of Strike Silver, overtook his stablemate down the lane and galloped out strong. The horse known as "WOW" covered five furlongs in 1:00.43, with Strike Silver stopping the clock in 1:00.64.

Trainer Mark Casse said War of Will is targeting the $600,000 Jim Dandy Presented by NYRA Bets (G2) July 27, and Strike Silver is being pointed to the $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes (G2) July 28.

"He always amazes me how effortlessly he does things," Casse said of War of Will. "We wanted to let him gallop out some, and I didn't with the other horse, so the other horse didn't gallop out. I wanted to put a little air into (War of Will). He looks great."

War of Will is the only 3-year-old this season to have contested all three legs of the Triple Crown. He was placed a troubled seventh in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), won the Preakness, then finished ninth in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), which was won by stablemate Sir Winston.

Casse said War of Will is blossoming as he prepares for a summer campaign expected to include the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) Aug. 24.

"He's put on about 100 pounds, and his color is really good. He doesn't look like a horse that has been through the wars of the Triple Crown," said Casse. "As long as he comes out of this happy and healthy and shows good energy, I think the Jim Dandy makes sense."

Tax Training Terrific for Jim Dandy

R. A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Hugh Lynch, and Corms Racing Stable's Tax breezed a half-mile Saturday on the Oklahoma training track and was clocked in :49.95 as he tunes up for a start in the Jim Dandy.

Trainer Danny Gargan said the dark bay son of Arch who won the Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack in February looked strong during his morning work.

"He's moving great. He's doing better than he's ever done right now," said Gargan. "I wanted him to go in :50 and he went :49 and 4. He worked fast last week, and I just wanted to have an easy breeze this week and then we'll bring him back next week and tighten him up. I'm really happy with how he's doing. He looks better now than he's ever looked. His coat is coming around. Everything about him is good right now."

Gargan said Tax is thriving because of the move to upstate New York.

"That's why I think he looks so good," said Gargan. "From the Belmont to now, his coat has just blossomed. He's putting on weight and filling out more. He's doing tremendous right now."

Claimed for $50,000 out of a maiden event at Keeneland in October, Tax was third in the 2018 Remsen Stakes (G3) at the Big A and ran second in the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2) ahead of his Triple Crown campaign.

Following an off-the-board effort in the Kentucky Derby, Tax rebounded to be a good fourth in the Belmont after contesting the early pace with Joevia.

Gargan said Tax will continue to be prominent as he contests the summer stakes schedule at Saratoga.

"If somebody gets up there in front of us, we'll sit second, but we're not taking back," said Gargan. "I like him to get into a rhythm, and I think he's going to like this track."

Tacitus, Yoshida Breeze for Summer Targets

Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott was a busy man Saturday, sending multiple graded stakes winners Tacitus and Yoshida in tandem to breeze on the Oklahoma training track.

Juddmonte Farms' Tacitus, targeting a start in the Jim Dandy off a runner-up finish in the Belmont, completed the five-furlong breeze in 1:01 flat, while Yoshida was clocked in 1:00.90.

Mott said he was pleased with the work from the homebred son of Tapit .

"Real good work," said Mott. "I thought they both went well. We just want to keep them happy, healthy, and stay on their respective courses."

Tacitus broke his maiden in his second start at Aqueduct and emerged on the Road to the Kentucky Derby by winning the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) in March in his next start. He secured the top spot on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with a victory in the Wood Memorial and placed third in the Derby following the disqualification of Maximum Security.

Mott said Tacitus has kept his good form following the Belmont.

"He's pretty much about the same as we had him for the Belmont," said Mott. "He was going good into that race, and he's continued to do so."

Yoshida, owned by China Horse Club, WinStar Farm, and Head of Plains Partners, is looking to make his next start in the $1 million Whitney Handicap (G1) Aug. 3.

The 5-year-old Japanese-bred son of Heart's Cry has been sixth each time in three starts this year: the Jan. 26 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) at Gulfstream Park, the March 30 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) at Meydan, and the June 15 Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Global Campaign Back on Track

Sagamore Farm and WinStar Farm's Global Campaign breezed Saturday morning over the main track and remains on target for the Jim Dandy, trainer Stanley Hough said.

The Peter Pan Stakes (G3) winner went five furlongs in 1:01.16, marking the second work of the month at Saratoga for the half brother to grade 1 winner Bolt d'Oro .

"I thought he worked great and came back good," Hough said. "He cooled out good. It was a step in the right direction."

The Curlin  colt bested a five-horse Peter Pan field May 11 at Belmont Park, earning his first triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure with a 101. In that start, he out-kicked runner-up Sir Winston by 1 1/4 lengths, with his bested rival going on to win the Belmont a month later.

"He ran great that day. He came out of the time off because of a foot injury and was much better," Hough said. "He trained good last week and trained good today. We'll go next weekend, and if everything goes right, just hope for the best. It'll be a tough race, but hopefully he can show himself."

That foot injury occurred during a fifth-place finish in the Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) March 2 at Gulfstream, marking the only time Global Campaign did not earn a winner's circle trip in four starts. He won his first two races on the Gulfstream main track, capturing his seven-furlong debut by 5 3/4 lengths Jan. 5 and following with a 2 1/4-length score against optional claimers at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 9.

"He had a foot injury in the Fountain of Youth, so we'd like to blame that race on that injury. But he's been able to overcome it. He keeps going on, and hopefully he has it taken care of now," Hough said.

Intrepid Heart Could Earn Way to Travers

Sending out King for a Day to work for the July 20 TVG.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1), trainer Todd Pletcher also worked grade 1 winner Vino Rosso in company with graded stakes-placed Intrepid Heart Saturday. Both horses went five furlongs in 1:00.90.

Eighth in the Belmont Stakes last out, Intrepid Heart is likely to return in the $100,000 Curlin Stakes July 26 over the Saratoga main track. Vino Rosso will target the Whitney Handicap.

"Intrepid Heart breezed this morning, and we're considering the Curlin with him," Pletcher said. "If that were to go well, that could possibly put him in the Travers. He went with Vino Rosso. Obviously, he's an older horse and a good work horse, and I thought he did well to stay with him."