tacitus | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mott Leaning Toward Running Frank’s Rockette Against Males In Sprint

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott worked a trio of Breeders' Cup contenders, including Tacitus, Channel Maker and Frank's Rockette at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., over the weekend, as well as Horologist on the Oklahoma training track on Friday at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York.

Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R.A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's multiple Grade 1-winner Channel Maker worked inside of Juddmonte Farms' multiple graded-stakes winner Tacitus Saturday on Big Sandy though a half-mile in 48.71 seconds, reaching five eighths in 1:01.2 and out six furlongs in 1:15.

“They went well. It was a very useful work and I'm happy enough with them,” said Mott.

Channel Maker secured his fourth Grade 1 win last out with a stellar front-running performance in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on October 3. That performance matched the career-best 108 Beyer Speed Figure earned by Channel Maker in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer on August 29 over soft going at Saratoga.

Channel Maker will be making his third attempt at the 12-furlong Grade 1 Breeders' Turf, and Mott said he is cautiously optimistic of his chances.

“There's a lot of them that don't get that,” said Mott with a laugh regarding a Breeders' Cup win. “His last couple of races have been good. We'll know a lot more after pre-entries tomorrow about how he looks in there.”

Channel Maker's other Grade 1 scores were secured in the 2018 Turf Classic Invitational and 2019 Man o' War at Belmont.

The regally bred Tacitus, a 4-year-old Tapit grey who boasts a record of 14-4-4-3 with more than $2.9 million in earnings, is out of the champion mare Close Hatches.

Tacitus captured the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and Grade 2 Wood Memorial last year and added the Grade 2 Suburban to his ledger in July at Belmont. He will enter the Breeders' Cup Classic in search of a first Grade 1 win after hitting the board in the Kentucky Derby, Runhappy Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup as a sophomore and this year in the Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup where he was a last-out third.

Frank's Rockette, owned by Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, worked a half-mile Sunday in 49.42 in company with unraced 3-year-old filly Strings Attached on the Belmont dirt training track.

“It was a good, even work. We wanted to go in 49 and that's about what we did. It was a nice, useful work,” said Mott.

The Into Mischief filly posted a 7 3/4-length victory in the Grade 2, $150,000 Gallant Bloom last out at Belmont to mark her fourth consecutive triumph and third straight graded score following wins in the Grade 3 Victory Ride in July at Belmont and the Grade 2 Prioress in September at Saratoga.

While Frank's Rockette is under consideration for the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at seven furlongs on November 7 at Keeneland, Mott said he is more than like to enter the speedy filly against the boys in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint, which offers a potentially more favorable distance of six furlongs.

“Right now, were thinking about the Sprint,” said Mott.

There's A Chance Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Medallion Racing and Abbondanza Racing's New Jersey-bred Horologist breezed a bullet five-eighths Friday in 1:00.61 on the Oklahoma training track.

“She worked super,” said Mott. “She is coming around nicely. Her last win was good.”

The 4-year-old Gemologist bay captured the Grade 2 Beldame last out on October 4 at Belmont and is to be supplemented to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff.

A multiple graded-stakes winner, Horologist captured the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks last year and added Monmouth's Grade 3 Molly Pitcher to her ledger in July.

The post Mott Leaning Toward Running Frank’s Rockette Against Males In Sprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Unbeaten Happy Saver Gives Pletcher First Jockey Club Gold Cup Triumph

Saving ground throughout under Irad Ortiz Jr., Wertheimer and Frere's homebred Happy Saver outdueled fellow 3-year-old Mystic Guide and 3-5 favorite Tacitus with a determined stretch run to win Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Now a perfect four-for-four after his first graded stakes win, Happy Saver earned a fees-paid berth for the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Classic after the Win and You're In Breeders' Cup Challenge Series victory.

Happy Saver covered 1 1/4 miles on a fast main track in 2:02.09 and paid $6.70 to win. Mystic Guide, ridden by John Velazquez and coming off a victory in the G2 Jim Dandy, finished second, beaten three-quarters of a length. Tacitus, who set an uncontested pace under Jose Ortiz, finished another 1 1/4 lengths back in third, with Prioritize fourth and Name Changer fifth.

The victory was the first in the Jockey Club Gold Cup for Pletcher, who trained Vino Rosso, first across the finish but disqualified and placed second for stretch interference in last year's running. Vino Rosso went on to win the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic.

“Not only had we not won it,” said Pletcher, “we'd suffered some really close defeats and then throw in a disqualification on top of that and it's been a frustrating one over the years. This one was fun. It's one of the races that has been hard on us. We've had some tough losses and it was very fulfilling to win it today.”

Happy Saver broke alertly, but Jose Ortiz seemed intent on getting the early lead aboard Tacitus, who was allowed to set soft fractions of :24.93, :49.68 and 1:13.61 for the opening six furlongs. Happy Saver tucked in just behind the leader, while Mystic Guide was to his outside and in the clear in the long run down the backstretch.

Mystic Guide moved up to challenge Tacitus with a quarter mile to run, the mile clocked in 1:37.25, while Irad Ortiz Jr. kept Happy Saver glued to the fence, waiting for daylight. That opportunity came when Tacitus and Mystic Guide straightened away into the stretch, and Happy Saver quickly accelerated through the opening, setting the stage for a three-horse duel down the lane.

Tacitus was the first to retreat, then Happy Saver showed his superiority over Mystic Guide, inching away in the final sixteenth of a mile for the winning margin.

“He has a big heart, like I told Todd in the paddockmk,” Ortiz said of Happy Saver. “He's a fighter. Every time he has a horse in front of him and when you ask him to go, he passes the horse and then he puts his ears up. He still had something after he went by Johnny's horse.

“It was emotional. I wanted to win it so bad. Last year, I got DQ'd and that was for Todd, too. He's a cool horse, a special horse. I rode him first time out and we knew he was a nice horse. Todd has always liked him.

“This race was uncomfortable for him. I wasn't really happy down in there but I didn't really have any other options. I just had to go with the flow of the race. I thought we were going to be on the lead and I was surprised to look up and see Tacitus on the lead early. I can't take back but I can't go head and head so I just let my horse be there. I used him a little on the backside to stay close and go from there.

“I had horse. I just didn't have anywhere to go. I had a little space inside but i didn't know if Jose [Ortiz, aboard Tacitus] had a lot of horse and I didn't want to check him because his horse has a big stride, so I just waited. When we turned for home, I knew he'd be there for me and if the hole was still open, I'd go for it. If not, I'd go around Johnny [Velazquez aboard Mystic Guide]. But it was still open, so I went for it. When I needed him, he was there for me.”

“Watching the race, I thought he was a little uncomfortable inside there,” Pletcher said of Happy Saver. “He was in a tricky spot. Johnny [Velazquez, aboard Mystic Guide] had first run on him and was able to keep him in there. To his credit, that was a pretty game performance to come up the inside there in his fourth start and first time against older horses going a mile and a quarter. To do that after breaking his maiden on June 20th is hard to do.

“I was very proud of the horse and his performance. I'm happy for the connections, the Wertheimers have been loyal supporters for many years and I'm appreciative of that. It's great to get a Grade 1 win for them. He's by a Derby winner [Super Saver (2010)] we trained, so it's fun all the way around.

“When we started getting serious with his breezes, he was breezing with Dr Post and some horses we knew had talent and he was staying right with them, but I couldn't have imagined on June 20 he'd be winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup and be 4-for-4. That's hard to do, but it's a tribute to his quality.”

Happy Saver, bred in Kentucky, was produced from Happy Week, a daughter of Distorted Humor. Happy Saver's third dam is Weekend Surprise, a broodmare of the year whose offspring include Horse of the Year and leading sire A.P. Indy.

Pletcher said he would evaluate how Happy Saver comes out of the race before deciding on whether or not he goes to the Breeders' Cup.

“First and foremost we'll see how he bounces out of this race,” said Pletcher. “It was a tough race and he's still a lightly raced horse. That's part of the reason we decided to come here instead of going to the Preakness. We'll enjoy this for the moment and talk to the Wertheimers and come up with a plan. I wouldn't say we're definite for it, but I wouldn't rule it out either.”

Happy Saver begins to pull away from Mystic Guide nearing the finish of the Jockey Club Gold Cup

The post Unbeaten Happy Saver Gives Pletcher First Jockey Club Gold Cup Triumph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Tacitus Will Face Four Rivals In Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup

Juddmonte Farms' three-time graded stakes-winning multimillionaire Tacitus will look to secure his first career Grade 1 triumph in Saturday's 102nd running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup going the classic distance of 1 ¼ miles at Belmont Park.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup is a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” qualifier offering an automatic entry into the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on November 7 at Keeneland.

The prestigious race is one of five graded stakes on Saturday's action-packed program, which also includes three other “Win And You're In” qualifying events along with the Grade 1, $250,000 Flower Bowl for fillies and mares going 1 ¼ miles on the inner turf, offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf; the Grade 1, $300,000 Champagne for juvenile colts going one mile on the main track, providing a spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile; and the Grade 1, $250,000 Frizette for juvenile fillies going one mile on the main track, a qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The lucrative card is bolstered by the Grade 2, $150,000 Sands Point for sophomore fillies going one mile over the Widener turf.

Since its inception in 1919, the Jockey Club Gold Cup has been one of the most prestigious events on the racing calendar having been won by Hall of Famers Man o' War [1920], Hill Prince [1950], Nashua [1955-56], Sword Dancer [1959], Buckpasser [1966], Damascus [1967], Forego [1974], John Henry [1981], Easy Goer [1989], Cigar [1995], Skip Away [1996-97] and Curlin [2007-08]. The great Kelso won the Jockey Club Gold Cup a record five straight years from 1960-64. Nine Kentucky Derby winners have won the prized event, including Triple Crown winners Gallant Fox [1930], Whirlaway [1942], Citation [1948] and Affirmed [1979].

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, a three-time Jockey Club Gold Cup winner, Tacitus was third in last year's edition and was most recently second as the favorite in the Grade 1 Woodward on September 5 at Saratoga, where he chased a slow pace tracking a half-length off Global Campaign but was unable to catch the pacesetter, who strolled home a 1 ¾-length winner.

The 4-year-old son of Tapit out of 2014 Champion Older Mare Close Hatches made some noise on last year's Kentucky Derby trail with scores in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and the Grade 2 Wood Memorial en route to being elevated to third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. He followed with three runner-up finishes as the favorite, including a late-closing second in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and the Grade 2 Jim Dandy ahead of a prominent effort in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers.

Two starts following an international endeavor in his 2020 debut when fifth in the Group 1 Saudi Cup on February 29, Tacitus added another graded stakes triumph to his ledger with an 8 ¾-length runaway win in the Grade 2 Suburban on July 4 at Belmont Park, which also is contested at the classic distance.

Tacitus has trained forwardly heading into Saturday's race, recently posting a half-mile drill in 47.20 on October 4 – the fastest of 77 recorded works at the distance.

Mott said he has no regrets regarding Tacitus' race tactics in the Woodward.

“Looking back, I don't think we did anything wrong,” said Mott. “The horse that beat him just ran a very good race. The only thing we could have tried differently, and I don't know that it would have changed the outcome was maybe go to that horse [Global Campaign] right away from the gate. I don't know that it would have changed anything. You sure weren't going to take him back more, the only thing would have been going on the attack early.”

Jockey Jose Ortiz, aboard for all three of Tacitus' graded stakes victories, will ride once more, drawing post 4.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup has had a long history of sophomores besting their elders in the event, and a pair of 3-year-olds will be making their debut against older horses this year with Godolphin's graded stakes winner Mystic Guide and Wertheimer and Frere's unbeaten Happy Saver.

Trained by Michael Stidham, Mystic Guide bypassed last Saturday's Grade 1 Preakness in favor of the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He was a last out winner of the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on September 5 at Saratoga, which was his only start where he was not made the favorite.

The well-bred chestnut son of Ghostzapper out of four-time Grade 1 winner Music Note has never finished off the board in five lifetime starts including a five-length triumph at second asking in his two-turn debut on March 21 at Fair Grounds. He was subsequently beaten by the same margin in his next effort against winners going a one-turn mile-and-a-sixteenth at Belmont to Tap It to Win before finishing third in the Grade 3 Peter Pan on July 16 at the Spa.

Mystic Guide registered a career-best 95 Beyer from his Jim Dandy score. The return to winning form was likely due to the addition of blinkers, according to Jimmy Bell who manages Godolphin's USA division.

“We were very, very pleased with his Jim Dandy run,” said Bell. “He stepped up and found his way to the top level. A little of it was the blinkers and getting him more involved in the race early not giving him too much to do at the end. We're looking forward to the distance of the Jockey Club Gold Cup.”

Bell said he is looking forward to seeing what the lightly-raced Mystic Guide can show as a 4-year-old and that he should relish the 1 ¼ miles.

“We're very much looking forward to his 4-year-old year,” Bell said. “We're really looking forward to the mile and a quarter race. He seems like a horse that will finish up well and not get tired.”

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, a three-time winning Jockey Club Gold Cup rider, will pilot Mystic Guide for the first time from post 5.

Trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle Happy Saver, who has won all three of his lifetime starts but will face graded stakes company for the first time.

The son of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, who also was conditioned by Pletcher, was a 5 ½-length winner on debut going seven furlongs over Big Sandy before defeating winners in his two-turn debut at Saratoga at 1 1/8 miles.

Last out, he added “stakes winner” to his resume with a 1 ½-length score in the Federico Tesio at Laurel Park on September 7.

“He's a lightly raced 3-year-old going up against older horses, but he's done everything that we've asked of him so far,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher said he has taken a patient approach with the lightly-raced Happy Saver.

“He just had some baby setbacks,” Pletcher said. “We almost had him ready to run here last fall, but we had to give him a break. It just took him a little while to get ready, but he's certainly made up a lot of ground in a short period of time.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who guided Happy Saver to his first two wins, has the mount from post 1.

A strong third-place effort against Grade 1 company has given veteran conditioner Jimmy Bond confidence to try Prioritize against such caliber once more, as he breaks from post 2.

Owned by William Clifton, Jr. the son of Tizway closed late to secure the show spot in the Grade 1 Woodward, where he was three lengths shy of the winner. Since moving to the main track, Prioritize has not finished out the money, having won his dirt debut for a $35,000 tag on December 20 at Aqueduct and secured a narrow allowance win at the Spa on July 25 over highly regarded Money Moves. When contesting on grass, he was twice third against stakes company in the 2018 Better Talk Now at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Hill Prince just over one month later at Belmont Park.

Jockey Luis Saez picks up the mount aboard Prioritize.

Rounding out the field is Colts Neck Stables' Name Changer, a 7-year-old Uncle Mo dark bay horse seeking his first win since the Queens County in December 2018 at Aqueduct.

Trained by Jorge Duarte, Jr., Name Changer has not won in four starts since said effort but has not finished worse than fourth. A winner of the 2018 Grade 3 Monmouth Cup, he arrives off a fourth-place finish to Pirate's Punch in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile on September 20 at Monmouth Park.

Jockey Manny Franco, who guided Discreet Lover to a 45-1 upset win in the 2018 Jockey Club Gold Cup, will attempt another longshot score in the race from post 3.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 11-race program, which offers a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Tacitus Will Face Four Rivals In Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Tacitus Chasing Long-Sought Grade 1 Victory In Saturday’s Woodward

Juddmonte Farms' three-time graded stakes winner Tacitus has been Grade 1-placed on four occasions, and will seek his first triumph at such level when he faces a field of five competitors in Saturday's 67th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward going 1 ¼ miles at Saratoga Race Course.

The prestigious event for older horses honors William Woodward, the late owner of Bel Air Stud who campaigned father-son Triple Crown-winning pair of Gallant Fox and Omaha and was chairman of the Jockey Club from 1930-50. Since its inception in 1954, the Woodward has attracted high caliber horses such as all-time greats Kelso (1961-63), Buckpasser (1966), Damascus (1967), and Forego who won four consecutive runnings from 1974-77. For four straight years, the Woodward was championed by a winner of the Kentucky Derby with Seattle Slew (1978), Affirmed (1979), Spectacular Bid (1980) and Pleasant Colony (1981) all winning the prestigious event. More recent prominent winners of the Woodward include Mineshaft (2003), Ghostzapper (2004), Saint Liam (2005), Curlin (2008), Rachel Alexandra (2009) and Gun Runner (2017) whose Woodward victories would help cement Horse of the Year honors in their respective years.

Trainer Bill Mott's record of four Woodward victories is tied with fellow Hall of Famers Elliot Burch and Bobby Frankel. Mott will look to become the race's all-time leading conditioner in the prestigious race when saddling Tacitus, who boasts lifetime earnings of $2,817,500.

Mott has sent out Hall of Famer Cigar (1995-96), To Honor and Serve (2012) and Yoshida (2018) to victory in the Woodward.

The 4-year-old gray or roan son of prolific sire Tapit out of 2014 Champion Older Filly Close Hatches was a runaway winner of the Grade 2 Suburban going the 1 ¼-mile distance on July 4 at Belmont Park. With Hall of Famer John Velazquez up, he tracked a leisurely pace, took command at the quarter pole and drew off by 8 ¾ lengths in a final time of 1:59.40. This was his first start since finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on May 2 and marked his first victory since taking the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by NYRA Bets in April 2019 at Aqueduct.

“He'll be a fresh horse going in,” Mott said. “He had done a lot of travelling earlier in the year. The Oaklawn race could have been a mistake, but at least we came back and capitalized on the next race being the Suburban. Right after Oaklawn, we decided we would wait for it.”

During his sophomore campaign last year, Tacitus won the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby en route to his Wood Memorial score. He finished in the money in his remaining five starts during his 3-year-old season when elevated to third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby followed by runner-up finishes in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, Grade 2 Jim Dandy and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers at Saratoga. He capped off his 2019 campaign with a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 28.

Mott said Tacitus has matured from age 3 to 4.

“His energy level has been good,” Mott said. “Naturally, he's a more mature horse from last year, which is normal. He feels good early in the morning before he goes out and he gets geared up and anxious to go once he gets going. He's good to ride and he's easy enough on himself to where he can take care of himself.”

Jockey Jose Ortiz, who piloted Tacitus to his two graded stakes wins last year, will return to the saddle from post 2.

Trainer Todd Pletcher will attempt to level up to even terms with Mott, Burch and Frankel in terms of Woodward victories when he saddles the formidable duo of Moretti and Spinoff.

Owned by Repole Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Moretti arrives at the Woodward off a victory in the 1 ¾-mile Birdstone on August 2, which he won by 1 ½ lengths. Second in the Grade 2 Suburban to Tacitus, Moretti defeated allowance company at Oaklawn Park on May 2 at Oaklawn Park as the lukewarm favorite before winning his first stakes race in the Flat Out on June 11 over a sloppy main track at Belmont Park.

“There's limited opportunities of Grade 1s going a mile and a quarter, so we'll give him a chance to do that,” said Pletcher, who sent out Woodward winners Lawyer Ron (2007), Quality Road (2010) and Liam's Map (2015).

Bred in Kentucky by Thor-Bred Farm, Moretti is by multiple champion producing stallion Medaglia d'Oro out of the Grade 1 winning Concerto mare Rigoletta, who also produced Grade 1 winner Battle of Midway. He was acquired for a lucrative $900,000 from the Gainesway consignment barn at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale.

Jockey Jose Lezcano will have the mount from post 3.

Pletcher also will send out Wertheimer and Frere's Spinoff, a newly minted stakes winner who took the Alydar on August 9 at the Spa where he registered a career-best 99 Beyer.

The homebred son of Hard Spun out of Grade 1-winner Zaftig was previously stakes-place three times, including a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special in 2018. During his sophomore season, Spinoff was a close second to By My Standards in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds en route to off-the-board placings in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Belmont Stakes. He capped off his 3-year-old season with a decisive 5 ¾-length victory against winners last August at Saratoga defeating graded stakes winners Lone Sailor, Cairo Cat and Control Group exactly one year prior to his last out win.

“Spinoff seems to like Saratoga a lot,” Pletcher said. “He's shown us hints along the way that he has potential for that breakthrough performance I thought the Alydar was arguably his strongest race. He's 2-for-2 around two turns here at Saratoga so that's encouraging as well. He's finally matured and putting it all together.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will pilot Spinoff from post 5.

Sagamore Farm and WinStar Farm's Global Campaign will attempt to replicate his winning ways from the last out Grade 3 Monmouth Cup when making his Grade 1 debut in the Woodward for trainer Stanley Hough.

The well-bred Curlin colt was a determined winner of his last effort, where he controlled a moderate pace throughout, lost the lead at the furlong marker to last year's Woodward runner-up Bal Harbour, but re rallied along the rail to get the victory by 1 ½-lengths over fast-closing Woodward-rival Math Wizard. A consistent five-time winner of eight starts, Global Campaign won his first two races which took place at Gulfstream Park before making the grade in the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont Park last May over eventual Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston. In his only start at Saratoga, Global Campaign was third in last year's Grade 2 Jim Dandy.

Bred in Kentucky by co-owner WinStar Farm, Global Campaign is out of the A.P. Indy mare Globe Trot, making him a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Bolt d'Oro.
Leaving from post 4, Global Campaign will be piloted by Luis Saez.

Following a well-beaten fifth in last Friday's Grade 2 Charles Town Classic, Math Wizard will seek to make amends while attempting his second Grade 1 victory for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.

Owned by John Fanelli, Khalid Mishref, Cash Is King Racing, LC Racing, Collarmele Vitelli Stable, Ioannis Zoumas and Bassett Stables, Math Wizard was a deep-closing winner of last year's Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx in his only graded staeks victory to date. The chestnut son of Algorithms owns three others placings against graded stakes company, where he was third in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby last July and second in both the Grade 3 Ohio Derby last June and Grade 3 Monmouth Cup in July.

Jockey Joel Rosario, who guided Yoshida to a 2018 Woodward score, has the mount from post 1.

Rounding out the field is William L. Clifton, Jr.'s Prioritize, a winner on both dirt and turf.

Trained by Jimmy Bond, Prioritize began his career on grass, where he was a first out winner over the Gulfstream Park green in April 2018 before third-place finishes against stakes company on the NYRA circuit in the Better Talk Now at Saratoga and the Grade 3 Hill Prince at Belmont Park, where he was beaten by a length both times.

In his dirt debut, the son of two-time Grade 1 winner Tizway won for a $35,000 tag on December 20 at Aqueduct and defeated allowance company three starts later at Saratoga, where he defeated Grade 1 Kentucky Derby contender Money Moves.

Jockey Eric Cancel piloted Prioritize to his last two efforts and retains the mount from post 6.

The Woodward is slated as Race 11 on Saturday's action-packed 12-race card, which also features the Grade 2, $150,000 Jim Dandy for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles over the main track, the Grade 2, $200,000 Glens Falls for older fillies and mares over the inner turf at 1 3/8 miles, and the Grade 2, $200,000 Prioress for sophomore fillies at six furlongs. Saturday's program offers a first post of 11:45 a.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Tacitus Chasing Long-Sought Grade 1 Victory In Saturday’s Woodward appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post