“We just want to get him a little bit more locked in,” he said.

Pletcher described the small blinker is a French cup with some holes in it.

Under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., Forte, who worked in company with MGSW Emmanuel, breezed a half-mile on the main track in :50. Emmanuel remains on target for the Aug. 12 GI Fourstardave H.

Pletcher said he was happy with Forte's work.

“I thought he went really well,” he said.  “He was enjoying himself out there.”

It was Forte's second breeze this summer at Saratoga after covering a half-mile in :48.90 July 14.

“I feel like he lost focus a little bit in the [GI] Florida Derby in the middle of the turn and in the [GI] Belmont. It might have cost him the Belmont,” Pletcher said.

He continued, “Irad and I had a conversation after that work about possibly trying some blinkers on him. We galloped him in them one day this week and it seemed like that went fine. Irad felt like he was a little more focused on what he was asking him to do rather than what the horse next to him was doing. If we were going to try an equipment change, we felt like the Jim Dandy would be the race to do it in and not wait until the Travers if we felt we needed to make a change.”

Forte has won six of eight career starts and was the 2-year-old male champion last year after compiling consecutive Grade I victories in the Hopeful, the Breeders' Futurity and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

He opened his 2023 campaign with a 4 1/2-length victory in the GI Fountain of Youth. In the Florida Derby he made a huge rally in the stretch to overtake Mage (Good Magic) and win by one length. Forte, the morning-line favorite, was scratched from the Kentucky Derby the morning of the race because of a bruised foot. He was second in the Belmont, 1 1/2 lengths behind Arcangelo (Arrogate).

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“There is no new rule,” wrote Brad Maoine, Director of Communications for the New York State Gaming Commission in response to TDN's request for information about the new posting on the overnight. “The intent of the message is (to) ensure that the betting public has access to accurate information regarding equipment changes in a timely fashion.”

But a reading of the NYSGC's rule 4033.8 reveals no mention of a horse's equipment, and reads only, “Only equipment specifically approved by the stewards shall be worn or carried by a jockey or a horse in a race.” There is no mention of equipment changes for horses after the publishing of the overnight in the ruling as stated on the Gaming Commission's website.

Trainers, horsemen's representatives and the NYRA expressed confusion over what the impetus for the rule was, and concern over the repercussions.

Right now, NYRA races are drawn either five, three or two days in advance of the race, with any late changes announced on the t.v. and general address system at the track, and off.

“NYRA has mechanisms in place to inform the betting public in the event of a late equipment change,” said NYRA spokesman Patrick McKenna. “This new rule does nothing to further protect horseplayers and will likely penalize owners for administrative errors that can easily be corrected in real time.”

“I think there are several issues with it,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “My first concern would be over an occasional shoe situation. We've had scenarios where a horse sheds a frog and we train the horse in an aluminum pad, and we try to keep it on to complete their training, which is usually right up to the day of the race. If you want to make that shoe change you sometimes literally don't know until game day. Entries in most jurisdictions are becoming further and further out, so that's one concern.”

Secondly, he said, “everyone makes mistakes occasionally, and maybe you made an honest mistake and didn't enter with blinkers, and caught it after the overnight came out, or maybe the racing office made a mistake and didn't note blinkers on. It seems as if there should be a 24-hour grace period.”

Trainer David Donk conceded that in a perfect world, trainers would and should indicate changes of equipment at entry time, but that the current system of taking entries by phone, rather than by computer with mandatory fields filled out, made it more likely for errors to be made.

“Why can't I enter online?” said Donk. “Listen, it is the trainer's responsibility. I probably don't have a real problem with it, but is it the commission overstepping? I don't see where it's coming from, and why there can't be a grace period? Common sense says there should be some compromise.”

Donk said that he imagined that the equipment changes hinted at would be blinker changes or the addition of a bar shoe. Attorney Drew Mollica—who has represented numerous clients in conflicts with the Gaming Commission, including two currently–said that he envisioned that the rule would not only make it more likely to cause unnecessary scratches, but could be subject to legal challenges.

“No shoe changes after entry puts the horse in jeopardy and hurts the track,” said Mollica. “Say a horse pops a small quarter crack and needs a bar shoe. If that is announced, does that not protect the owner, the public, the horse and the track? But under this rule, he must scratch. Why?”

“And how about blinkers?” he continued. “Say a horse breezes on the day after entry and the trainer thinks blinkers would help, but now has to scratch or run without equipment that could benefit his performance because the new rule says he must scratch or not wear them? Who does this help? In a game that has enough natural landmines, do we have to plant more?”

Will Alempijevic, the executive director of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, replied in an email, “NYTHA is currently engaged in discussions with both the NYSGC and NYRA to understand the issues that precipitated the change.  We will continue to play an active role to see if we can collectively come up with proposed solutions to everyone's mutual benefit.”

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“I sure hope so,” said Doug O'Neill, who trains the colt for the partnership of Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing and William Strauss. O'Neill was at the barn on the Monmouth Park backside with Strauss, the founder and CEO of Pro-Flowers.com, overseeing final preparations Friday morning after jetting in from his Southern California base.

Hot Rod Charlie is by 2013 Preakness winner Oxbow out of Indian Miss, making him a half-brother to champion sprinter Mitole. His pedigree is blessed with speed and the stamina to stay the 1 1/8 miles of the Haskell.

To give him an extra edge for this trip, O'Neill decided that an equipment change was in order.

The winner of the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby has worn blinkers in six of his last nine efforts, but will not race with them Saturday when he and jockey Flavien Prat depart from post 4 as the 6-5 morning line favorite in the field that includes Kentucky Derby runner-up Madaloun, the 2-1 second choice on the morning line; 3-1 Following Sea; 9-2 Midnight Bourbon, the Preakness runner-up; and three locally-based horses in the New Jersey-bred Pickin' Time at 20-1 and co-longshots Antigravity and Basso at 30-1.

“This time we're pulling the blinkers off, which is kind of a chancy thing since his form is so strong and he's heading the right way and now we're tweaking his equipment,” said O'Neill. “We've been breezing him without blinkers and Flavien is real excited about what we could see without them. He's got that (Derby) third, and then the (Belmont) second, and hopefully, a win is right around the corner.”

In addition to pulling down a seven-figure purse and earning a Grade 1 victory, the Haskell winner is guaranteed an all-expenses-paid spot in the starting gate for the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic as part of the “Win and You're In” Breeders' Cup Challenge Series presented by America's Best Racing. The 2021 Breeders' Cup on the first weekend in November is being contested at Del Mar, which is home for the O'Neill stable.

“That's a huge bonus as well. I hate to get too far ahead of us. It's a big day tomorrow and I couldn't be happier with the way he's coming into it,” he said.

Spendthrift Farm's homebred Following Sea was transferred to Todd Pletcher in May and he has turned heads by winning the last two of his three career efforts by a combined 12¼ lengths with Joel Rosario at the reins.

But the son of champion sprinter Runhappy is stretching out from 6½ furlongs and has never negotiated two turns. Moreover, he's taking a huge class jump from a first level allowance race all the way to this Grade 1 stakes.

“The rail horse (Following Sea) is a huge `X' factor,” said O'Neill. “It's his first time going this distance. He's been brilliant in his wins, and he's got Joel, who is a brilliant rider. I would think he'll make the pace and then it will be up to Flavien to judge where he wants to have Charlie.

“Midnight Bourbon is kind of an `X' factor, too, with Paco (Lopez) on him. I assume he'll be sent pretty hard, too. Even though it's a short field it's an interesting jockey race.”

While Hot Rod Charlie is looking for his first Grade 1 win, his trainer hopes to garner his first Haskell trophy in his fourth try. 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist was fourth in 2016, Handsome Mike finished fourth in 2012, and Excessivepleasure was seventh in 2003 for O'Neill.

“At this stage Charlie does seem like he's getting better and better and with a little bit of luck there are a lot of chapters left to be written in his book,” O'Neill said. “We're excited for the second half of the 3-year-old season, and the Haskell is a big test for us. It's an honor to be here, and I feel grateful that I'm here with this horse.”

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Trainer Doug O'Neill was extremely pleased with the colt's penultimate breeze, for which jockey Flavien Prat was aboard. Hot Rod Charlie went without blinkers, as he has several times this year, and O'Neill is strongly considering removing the equipment for the Haskell.

“It's one of those deals where the blinkers helped him focus and become the racehorse he's become, but as he has matured, Flavien says he seems very happy without them,” O'Neill told bloodhorse.com. “We're hoping that obviously with some of these stretch duels that racing without them will tip us over onto the winning end of a stretch duel. We just wanted to try it in the mornings. So far, it's been a good experience. As it stands right now, more than likely 'Charlie' will run without blinkers in the Haskell.”

Work of the Day from @santaanitapark, Doug O'Neill's Hot Rod Charlie (Inside) and Foothill (Middle) and Leonard Powell's Gypsy Spirit (Outside) worked on July 2nd, 2021. @1stbet pic.twitter.com/ZUQXPwsioq

— XBTV (@WatchXBTV) July 2, 2021

The Haskell is a “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Classic this fall at Del Mar. Other top 3-year-olds under consideration for the nine-furlong contest include Mandaloun and Rombauer.

Read more at bloodhorse.com.

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Trained by Christophe Clement, the 4-year-old Declaration of War chestnut won 4-of-6 sophomore starts, including victories in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Kent at Delaware Park and the 10-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational.

Clement said Gufo will add blinkers following late-running losses in his last three starts, including narrow defeats in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby by a neck in November at Del Mar; and the Grade 1 Man o' War by a nose in May at Belmont.

Last out, Gufo raced from 17 lengths off the pace before closing to finish third in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Manhattan on June 5 at Belmont.

“He's always way, way out of it and we're just trying to get him closer,” said Clement regarding the equipment change. “He's not going to be on the pace, but it would be great to have him not too far out of it. He's doing well and training well and I love the idea of running him back at Belmont.”

Clement said the Grand Couturier could serve as a steppingstone to the 12-furlong Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer, slated for August 28 at Saratoga, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1, $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Del Mar.

“The plan is to get to the Sword Dancer at Saratoga. That's our main summer goal,” said Clement.

Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 6.

Woodslane Farm's multiple graded stakes winner Sadler's Joy will make his first start since a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Pan American on March 27 at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Tom Albertrani, the $2.6 million earner, who captured the 2017 Grade 1 Sword Dancer, is in search of his first win since the 2019 Grade 3 Red Smith at Aqueduct. The 8-year-old Kitten's Joy chestnut did cross the wire first in the last year's Grade 2 Bowling Green at Saratoga, but was disqualified and placed fourth.

Jose Ortiz has the call from post 3.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will saddle a pair of contenders in Summer Wind Equine's Moon Over Miami and Trinity Farm's Red Knight.

Red Knight, a New York-homebred, captured the Grade 3 Sycamore in October at Keeneland going the Grand Couturier distance. The 7-year-old Pure Prize gelding boasts a record of 24-8-8-1 with four of those scores arriving on the Belmont turf, including the 2019 Point of Entry at 12 furlongs.

Moon Over Miami, a Kentucky homebred, closed from 15 lengths back to finish third, defeated a neck, last out in the Grade 1 Man o' War going 1 3/8-miles on the Belmont turf. The 4-year-old Malibu Moon colt captured the Dueling Grounds Derby at 1 5/16-miles on the Kentucky Downs turf in September.

Junior Alvarado will pilot Moon Over Miami from post 5, while Manny Franco will guide Red Knight from the inside post.

Three Diamonds Farm's Tide of the Sea, a 5-year-old son of English Channel bred in Kentucky by Juddmonte Farms, will look to make amends after finishing last-of-9 last out in the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup contested at two miles over yielding turf.

Trained by Mike Maker, Tide of the Sea captured the 12-furlong Grade 3 William L. McKnight in January at Gulfstream Park and followed with a close second in the 11-furlong Grade 2 Mac Diarmida at the same track.

Tide of the Sea will emerge from post 7 under Luis Saez.

Rounding out a talented field are Fantasioso [post 2, Javier Castellano], Epic Bromance [post 4, Joe Bravo], Burning Bright [post 8, Eric Cancel], Shamrocket [post 9, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], and Kinenos [post 10, Jose Lezcano].

The Grand Couturier is slated as Race 6 on Monday's nine-race card. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

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Following Anothertwistafate's fourth-place finish in the Seabiscuit Handicap (G2) on Nov. 28 at Del Mar, Rosario recommended adding blinkers to the horse's new trainer, Peter Miller. Five weeks later, with blinkers in place, Anothertwistafate and Rosario rolled to a 2 ¼-length victory in the San Gabriel (G2) at Santa Anita.

Miller chuckled as he told the story about his conversation with Rosario after the Seabiscuit.

“When he tells you something you listen,” Miller said. “He's one of the jocks that I really respect his opinion. When he tells you something he's right most of the time.”

The San Gabriel victory was the first on turf for the 5-year-old owned by Peter Redekop and gave him stakes wins on all three surfaces: synthetics, dirt and grass. It was another significant step forward for the Anothertwistafate, who was away from the races for 16 months following the 2019 Preakness (G1), and earned him invitations to both of the major races on the Pegasus program. His connections opted for the 1 3/16 miles Turf.

Redekop purchased Anothertwistafate for $360,000 as a 2-year-old in 2018 and sent him to trainer Blaine Wright, who operates stables at Golden Gate Fields in Northern California and Emerald Downs in Washington state. Wright developed the colt into a stakes winner and guided him to the Preakness, where he finished 10th. Following the extended layoff to recover from surgeries and setbacks, Wright prepped him on works to win the Longacres Mile (G3) on Sept. 10 at Emerald Downs. With the graded stakes on dirt on his resume, Anothertwistafate was part of a group of a half-dozen Redekop horses moved to Miller's barn on the more-lucrative Southern California circuit.

“Mr. Redekop and his racing manager, Dr. Bryan Anderson, wanted to try him on the grass because he's got a grass pedigree being by Scat Daddy,” Miller said. “He also was 3-for-3 on synthetic, which can portend to success on the grass. When they sent him to me they wanted to try him on the grass and it's been so far, so good.”

Right from the start of the experiment, Miller was confident that Anothertwistafate could handle the surface switch.

“Once we breezed him on the grass at Del Mar you could tell that he dug it,” Miller said.

Redekop was born in a Mennonite colony in 1935 in what is now the Ukraine. The family faced oppression for its religious beliefs and was displaced to Germany at the end of World War II. After spending some time in the Netherlands, the family emigrated to Canada, arriving in Winnipeg in December 1948. Four months later, Redekop and his family moved further west to British Columbia. In partnership with his cousin, Peter Wall, Redekop became a very successful real estate developer in Vancouver. Redekop and Wall purchased their first race horses in 1968 and Redekop has been so successful in the sport in the province that he is a member of British Columbia's racing Hall of Fame.

When Justify, bred by Vancouver resident John Gunther and his daughter Tanya, won the 2018 Triple Crown, Redekop decided to buy a horse by Justify's late sire, Scat Daddy. Thirteen days after Justify won the Belmont Stakes, Redekop purchased his Scat Daddy at the Ocala Breeders' Sale.

The colt was named after the song “Simple Twist of Fate” from Bob Dylan's 1975 album Blood on the Tracks. Redekop's racing manager Bryan Anderson, his wife Carol and their daughter Victoria collaborate on the naming of the horses in the stable. Anderson said that Simple Twist of Fate was a name already registered with The Jockey Club. Since Redekop prefers that his horses have names that start with the letter “A”, making them easier to find on the workout lists, the Anderson team developed a variation to Simple Twist of Fate.

Anothertwistafate had a troubled trip in his career debut on Nov. 3, 2018 at Santa Anita and ended up a well-beaten ninth. Wright took him back to Golden Gate Fields, where he won his next three starts on the synthetic track by a combined 16 lengths. The third of those wins, the El Camino Real Derby, earned him an automatic berth in the Preakness. He ran second by a neck in the Sunland Park Derby (G3) and second by a 1 ¾ lengths in the Lexington (G3) at Keeneland and ended up short of qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby.

After the Preakness, he did not compete again until his facile score in the Longacres Mile.

“He's traveling great right now,” Miller said. “He came to me in great shape from Blaine Wright. He's maintained that level of health and soundness.”

Anothertwistafate has won five of 10 lifetime starts and has earned $490,505 in a career spread over four seasons.

“He's really a talented horse,” Miller said. “If he continues to put it together, like he did in his last race, I can certainly see, if he stayed sound, some big races in his future. Hopefully, maybe, the Breeders' Cup at the end of the year.”

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The 5-year-old Candy Ride gelding, bred in Kentucky by Dixiana Farms, set splits of 22.45 and 44.94 under Ferrin Peterson in the six-furlong Mr. Prospector en route to a 3 3/4-length win in a final time of 1:09.18.

Arriaga said he was surprised to see such fast fractions last out.

“We didn't expect that,” said Arriaga. “He was supposed to go easy to the front, but she sent him all the way and the horse was doing it comfortable.”

Arriaga said he will let the 2020 Belmont Stakes-winning rider dictate the tactics.

“He can come from off the pace too but let's see what Manny has to say. He's been riding really good,” said Arriaga.

Share the Ride was claimed for $16,000 on July 5 out of a winning effort in a Monmouth Park sprint. He followed with a good second in an optional-claiming sprint on August 9 at first asking for new connections ahead of two even efforts on the Monmouth turf when fourth in the 5 1/2-furlong Get Serious on August 23 and fifth in the one-mile Grade 3 Red Bank on September 5.

Arriaga said the addition of blinkers for his last two starts is the only major change in equipment for Share the Ride since the claim.

“We put the blinkers on but other than that it took him a month to start eating well when we first claimed him,” said Arriaga. “Some horses when they get older, they get better. Good horses get better if you take care of them the right way, feed them the right way and spoil them and they're happy.”

After winning the Mr. Prospector on one week's rest, Share the Ride returns to action in the Vosburgh with two weeks between starts.

“He's doing good,” said Arriaga. “He gallops and jogs. With these fast horses, I try not to work them too much because they can blow their race in the workout if they go fast.”

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Wearing blinkers for the first time in 29 career races, the 6-year-old Arklow laid up close to the pace under Florent Geroux and took command through the long stretch for a 1 1/4-length victory over Red Knight. Zulu Alpha was another length back in third after coming from near-last.

“We have nothing but respect for Zulu Alpha,” Crawford said of the 2019 Kentucky Turf Cup winner to whom Arklow was second in last year's running of the track's richest race. “He was the best mile-and-a-half turf horse in the world coming into the Kentucky Turf Cup. But if you beat the best, then you're in the conversation.”

“I think he was in the conversation anyway, just because of his trainer,” Hui said of Arklow's trainer, Brad Cox.

The Mike Maker-trained Zulu Alpha started his 7-year-old season with a victory over an international field in Gulfstream Park's Grade 1, $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf, in which Arklow was fifth. Saturday marked the 10th time the horses had squared off, the two evenly split 5-5 for number of times finishing in front of the other.

Now the focus for both horses is squarely on the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland. Arklow won a maiden race at Keeneland and was second in the 2018 Grade 2 Sycamore, won by Zulu Alpha in the gelding's first race for Hui. Zulu Alpha also won Keeneland's July 12 Elkhorn in his last start before Saturday's race.

“Zulu is good, he was bouncing around the barn cooling out, had a lot of energy,” Hui said of the defeat. “You could tell he knew he didn't win. It's onward; we'll move on. We're just going to stick with the playbook we laid out after he won the Pegasus.”

Both horses have been fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf; Arklow in 2018 at Churchill Downs and Zulu Alpha last year at Santa Anita.

Zulu Alpha will train up to this Breeders' Cup, Hui said. Arklow could run back in New York's Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, which the horse won last year to become a Grade 1 winner.

“Our next decision is: Do we go to the Joe Hirsch in three weeks and then give him five weeks to the Breeders' Cup? Do we just train him up to the Breeders' Cup?” Crawford said. “Brad is very, very pleased with the way he came out of the race. You want him to be fresh going into the Breeders' Cup, but you don't want him to be stale. To figure that out is the next challenge.”

Arklow crashed through the $2 million mark for earnings and now has made $2,446,116, the vast majority in his 24 turf starts spanning seven wins, six seconds and a third.

“I have a lot of confidence going forward with the equipment change that we're going to see more of the old Arklow,” Crawford said.

Crawford said that as much as bragging on Arklow, he wanted to praise stakes-sponsor Calumet Farm, Calumet owner Brad Kelley and Kentucky Downs. Crawford said that they make it possible “so that we can brag on horses like him.

“Kentucky Downs is one of the niftiest racetracks anywhere. What they do to make it so lucrative, the sport would be nowhere without them.”

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“The blinkers, I knew, could have that effect. I thought the blinkers for her was going to be hit or miss. It was either going to make a big difference or it was going to be a big mistake. It turned out to be a big mistake,” Joseph said. “We thought we were making the right decision. We had to give it a try. I'll take the blame for that. I can't blame her. She got a little rank going into the first turn. I think it was a complete throw-out race. I'll take the blame for that.”

The Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks is still penciled in for a 'blinkers-off” Tonalist's Shape.

“I'm not going to let that race distract us. If all is well, we're going to stay on plan. She's earned a spot in the Oaks. If she stays the course, we'll probably give her a chance there. We'll see how she does,” Joseph said. “We'll talk it over with the owners, but I don't see any reason not to continue onwards.”

Math Wizard, who gave Joseph his first Grade 1 success while winning last year's Pennsylvania Derby at Parx, improved off a pair of disappointing 2020 efforts with a second-place finish behind Global Campaign in Saturday's Monmouth Cup (G3).

“He ran very good. He's just a hard-knocking horse,” Joseph said. “On his day, when he's doing good, he gives his all. I couldn't be more proud of him.”

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The 1 1/4-mile event rounded out an action-packed program of five graded stakes on Runhappy Met Mile Day at beautiful Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., which was spearheaded by a wire-to-wire triumph from Vekoma in the Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile.

Tacitus, a gray or roan son of multiple champion-producing stallion Tapit, arrived at the Suburban off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on May 2, where he chased a leisurely pace over a speed-favoring track and made a four-wide move at the top of the stretch, closing enough ground to get fourth. Guided by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who piloted E Dubai to a 2002 Suburban score, Tacitus broke sharply from his inside post and took back off a tepid pace set by 57-1 longshot Parsimony, who produced an opening quarter-mile in 24.68 seconds with eight-time stakes winner Mr. Buff just to his outside in second over the fast main track.

Parsimony and Mr. Buff raced alongside one another and extended their advantage to two lengths through a half-mile in 48.36 seconds with Tacitus in fourth just to the inside of Moretti. Around the far turn, Tacitus began making up ground under no urging from Velazquez and made a three-wide move through three-quarters in 1:10.82.

At the quarter-pole, Mr. Buff gave way while Parsimony was under an all-out drive by jockey Kendrick Carmouche. Velazquez remained cool, calm and collected aboard Tacitus who effortlessly went by the pacesetter around the three-sixteenths pole and glided home to a 8 ¾-length score in a final time of 1:59.51. Moretti closed to get second, a neck to the better of Parsimony in third.

Just Whistle, Mr. Buff and 2019 Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston completed the order of finish. Forewarned was a late scratch in the post parade.

“He was going comfortable the whole way,” said Velazquez, who notched a fifth stakes victory this meet aboard Tacitus. “We had a little pressure in the first part of the race and little by little we kept reaching back and reaching back. I just wanted to be a little further back. Once we passed the five-eighths pole, I put my hands down and he got into a great rhythm. From there on, I knew he was comfortable, and in a position to win.”

The Suburban was a first trip to the winner's circle for Tacitus since taking the Grade 2 Wood Memorial in April 2019 at Aqueduct. He followed that victory with five straight placings against graded stakes company, including a third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and runner-up finishes in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, Grade 2 Jim Dandy and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers. Tacitus also owns a graded stakes triumph in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby last March at Tampa Bay Downs.

In his 4-year-old debut, Tacitus ran fifth in the inaugural edition of the Group 1 Saudi Cup on February 29 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.

“We've put a lot into this horse,” said Mott, who previously won the Suburban with Wekiva Springs (1996) and Flat Out (2013). “We took him to some big races, and he's run some good races. We took him halfway around the world earlier this year looking for something like that [winning effort] in Saudi and in Dubai before they canceled the race [Dubai World Cup].”

Perhaps it was a change of equipment that made a difference for Tacitus, who raced with blinkers on for Saturday's race.

“It seems to make him level off a little more and stay in the bridle a little more,” Mott said.

The win marked a second stakes triumph on Runhappy Met Mile Day for Mott and Velazquez, who teamed up earlier on the card with Frank's Rockette to a victory in the Grade 3 Victory Ride.

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano had no complaints regarding his trip aboard runner-up Moretti.

“Beautiful trip. That's just where we wanted to be; behind the two speeds. The race set up beautifully. We were just second-best today. Tacitus is a great horse,” Castellano said.

Returning $4.20 for a $2 win bet, Tacitus banked $110,000 in victory while enhancing his lifetime earnings to $2,817,500.

Named after an ancient Roman senator, the Kentucky homebred Tacitus is out of 2014 Champion Older Filly Close Hatches and is a direct descendant of 1982 Broodmare of the Year Best In Show.

Live racing returns on Sunday afternoon with a 10-race card. First post is 1:15 p.m. Eastern.

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