Tax Turns Back Tacitus in Jim Dandy

While Tax parted the murky waters of the 2019 sophomore season to emerge victorious July 27 in the $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2) at Saratoga Race Course, the former claimer will have plenty to prove down the road in the Aug. 24 Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1).

Tax turned back 8-5 choice Tacitus with a tenacious effort in the stretch of the traditional prep for the Midsummer Derby but got the jump on his rival early after Tacitus stumbled badly at the break.

Jockey Jose Ortiz, who miraculously managed to remain aboard the favorite en route to a runner-up finish, lamented the altered complexion of the 1 1/8-mile test. 

"I was thinking to be very aggressive today on him going into the first turn. I wanted to break good and make everybody use a little bit at the first sixteenth of a mile," he said. "Unfortunately, (Tacitus) stumbled, and after that I used him a little bit just to bring him up to the field, and when we passed the five-eighths pole, I saw an opening on the inside with War of Will at the front. I decided to let him go and let him catch up with the leaders a little bit by the half mile. The rail opened for me by the three-eighths pole. I felt like it was too early to take that chance. I think the stumble cost me a lot, for sure."

Meanwhile, Tax got the perfect trip under patient handling by Irad Ortiz Jr.

Sent to post as the 9-2 fourth choice in the six-horse field—which included Preakness Stakes (G1) winner War of Will—the Danny Gargan trainee broke alertly but allowed War of Will to set the opening quarter-mile in :24.89 on the fast main track. Tacitus trailed the field as War of Will marked the half in 48.80 with Tax tracking comfortably in second.

War of Will opened up down the backstretch and led the field into the final turn as Tacitus started to pick off horses one-by-one up the rail. Ortiz Jr., poised to strike aboard Tax, gave the gelding his cue late in the turn and angled his mount outside of the tiring frontrunner.

Tax emerged with a two-length lead at the head of the stretch, but Tacitus had him in his sights after overtaking War of Will. Tacitus dug in gamely on the inside headed to the final sixteenth, but there was no denying Tax, whose three-quarters-of-a-length score came in a final time of 1:49.28.

The start might have been a nightmare for the favorite's connections, but the finish was a dream come true for Randy Hill, who co-owns the son of Arch with Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Hugh Lynch, and Corms Racing Stable.

"You come to Saratoga, that's what you dream about—(winning) the Jim Dandy on the way to the Travers. Dreams come true, and mine did today," he said.

Global Campaign completed the trifecta, half a length in front of Laughing Fox. War of Will and Mihos rounded out the order of finish.

Ortiz Jr. said the slow start of both Tacitus and Peter Pan Stakes (G3) winner Global Campaign impacted his race tactics.

"When the speed horse (Global Campaign) didn't break that sharp, I changed my plan," said Ortiz, Jr. "I just decided to go. I told myself, 'I don't want to be down on the rail.' When I got outside in the clear, I held it. That was my plan. I didn't want to be inside. I thought I was going to have the other horse as a target, but he didn't break, so I decided to go. We never expected War of Will to be in front."

Tax, who battled with Joevia on the lead in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), found a more relaxed trip in the Jim Dandy.

"Today, it felt much better than last time," said Ortiz, Jr. "When I let him run, he picked it up. I let him go, and when I asked and said, 'Let's go,' he was feeling great."

While the race may have played perfectly into his hands, Gargan said he's also seen a change in Tax this summer.

"His last work here the other day was spectacular. It was electrifying, and this is the fittest I've ever had him," the trainer said. "I knew he would dig in today.

"He's a gelding, so he will get better with age. When a horse like this just matures and gets bigger and stronger, he can be any kind of horse at the end of the year. I'm really, really happy with him.

"We glued his shoes and changed a few things that we were doing with him, and he just looks bigger, stronger and training more aggressive. He's four or five lengths better than he was going into any of his races, and it worked out today."

Tax, claimed for $50,000 out of a maiden-breaking effort Oct. 21 at Keeneland, has contested six consecutive graded races and paid big dividends as he collected his first win since the Feb. 2 Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack. The score came after a fourth in the Belmont, preceeded by a 14th in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and a runner-up finish to Tacitus in the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2).

Tax improved his record to 3-2-1 from eight starts, with earnings of $756,300. Bred in Kentucky by Claiborne Farm and Adele B. Dilschneider out of the Giant's Causeway mare Toll, he is the first black-type winner for his dam, but hails from a heralded Claiborne family. Toll is a daughter of the graded stakes-winning A.P. Indy daughter Yell and is a half sister to stakes winner Cheery, who produced multiple grade 1 winner Elate. Toll's second dam is multiple graded stakes winner Wild Applause, a half sister to Kentucky Derby winner Sea Hero who produced multiple graded stakes winners, among them sire Roar. This is also the family of stallions Congrats , Flatter , and Ironicus . 

Toll dropped an Orb  colt in 2018 and sold at that year's Keeneland November Sale to Charles Fipke for $50,000 in foal to Blame , with the resulting filly born Jan. 14. She was bred back to Danish Dynaformer . 

Gargan said Tax is likely to make his next start in pursuit of an elusive grade 1 victory in the summer's marquee 3-year-old race at the Spa.

"(The Travers) is the goal, so hopefully if he comes out of this well, we're in," he said. "I think he likes this track and he likes it here, so that's something we're pushing towards and hoping we make. It's a wide-open division. He was unfortunate a couple of times. The Derby was a throw-out race because of the way the break went and the way the track was. If you take the Derby out, he's run as good as anyone all year. With the right trip and the right situation, he can be right there. I don't think he was getting caught in this race. It looked like (Tacitus) was going to get him, and he didn't go by him."

Video: Jim Dandy S. (G2)