Belmont Stakes: Tacitus puts in strong five-furlong workout
ELMONT, N.Y. – Tacitus, who could vie for favoritism with Preakness winner War of Will in the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on June 8, put in a solid five-furlong workout Sunday at Belmont Park in preparation for the third and final leg of the Triple Crown.
With regular rider Jose Ortiz in the irons, Tacitus worked five furlongs in 1:00.16 in company with the older stakes winner Multiplier. Tacitus, who started about three-quarters of a length back of Multiplier, got his final quarter in 23.97 and then proceeded to gallop out six furlongs in 1:12.59, seven furlongs in 1:24.97, and pulled up a mile in 1:39.78.
“He looked good. He just looked like he was galloping,” trainer Bill Mott said. “That’s kind of what he worked in at Churchill before the Derby. Maybe this was a little better.”
Tacitus, who won the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 6, crossed the wire fourth as the third betting choice in the Kentucky Derby. He was elevated to third following the controversial disqualification of Maximum Security from first for interfering with several runners, including War of Will. Early in the race, Tacitus was 16th and 10 1/2 lengths back, finishing 3 1/4 lengths back at the wire.
“He ran a good race in the Derby,” Mott said. “He didn’t have a horrible trip, he just didn’t have the dream trip. Sometimes you have to have the dream trip to win that race. Country House had a dream trip. He was parked maybe three wide. Still, he never stopped, he never lost momentum, never had to change or alter course.”
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Country House, the 65-1 shot who was promoted from second to first in the Kentucky Derby, has begun jogging at Churchill Downs after overcoming an illness. Mott said he would leave Country House in Kentucky for at least another week before shipping him to Saratoga to prepare for a summer campaign that could start in the Jim Dandy Stakes on July 27.
• Master Fencer, elevated from seventh to sixth in the Derby, trained for the first time at Belmont Park on Sunday.
Master Fencer first went to the training track to warm up before coming to the main track, where he alternated jogging and galloping about a mile.
Master Fencer is scheduled to have timed workouts on the next two Wednesdays.
• War of Will will do the bulk of his training at Keeneland in preparation for the Belmont Stakes, likely having a workout there Friday or Saturday before shipping to New York by van Monday or Tuesday.
“He’s doing well there,” said trainer Mark Casse, adding that assistant trainer David Carroll “knows him better than anybody. It’s kind of quiet there, he’s happy there, he spent a lot of time there. The only disadvantage, if there is one, is that he won’t have a breeze over the track. I don’t think that bothers him.”
Meanwhile, Casse said that Peter Pan runner-up Sir Winston came out of his Saturday workout “super” and remains on target for the Belmont.
– additional reporting by Mike Welsch
| Potential Belmont Stakes Starters | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Last Race |
| Everfast | Dale Romans | Luis Saez | Preakness, 2nd |
| Intrepid Heart | Todd Pletcher | undecided | Peter Pan, 3rd |
| Joevia | Greg Sacco | undecided | Long Branch, 1st |
| Master Fencer (JPN) | Koichi Tsunoda | Julien Leparoux | Ky Derby, 6th |
| Sir Winston | Mark Casse | Joel Rosario | Peter Pan, 2nd |
| Spinoff | Todd Pletcher | undecided | Ky. Derby, 18th |
| Tacitus | Bill Mott | Jose Ortiz | Ky. Derby, 3rd |
| Tax | Danny Gargan | undecided | Ky. Derby, 14th |
| War of Will | Mark Casse | Tyler Gaffalione | Preakness, 1st |
