Performer fresh for stakes debut in Discovery

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After successfully passing his route test in an allowance victory in September, Performer will next try to pass his stakes debut Saturday when he runs in the Grade 3, $200,000 Discovery Stakes at Aqueduct.

While Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Code of Honor is the proven 3-year-old in trainer Shug McGaughey’s barn, Performer is a 3-year-old full of promise for the future. After finishing third in his debut a year ago, Performer didn’t make it back to the races until June, owing to ankle issues that required time off.

Performer, from the family of Grade 1 winners Storm Flag Flying and Miner’s Mark, has won all three of his races this year, including a gritty allowance victory on Sept. 29 at Belmont when he was passed by Grumps Little Tots at the top of the lane before coming back to beat him by 1 3/4 lengths. That race was run at 1 1/16 miles around one turn. The Discovery is run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns.

“He worked too fast about a week before and I was a little nervous about it, but he’s come out of that race really good,” said McGaughey, who trains Performer for a partnership of the Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm. “He’s had quite a bit of time, but everything he’s done has been really good.”

McGaughey believes Performer will be a forward presence breaking from post 6 under Joel Rosario, who has won the last three runnings of the Discovery.

“If he breaks good, he’s going to be laying right there,” McGaughey said.

Tax is the most accomplished of the eight runners in the Discovery. He won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga and, earlier this year, the Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct. He has not run since finishing seventh behind Code of Honor in the Travers on Aug. 24 at Saratoga. Tax was scratched from the Oklahoma Derby due to a temperature he got after shipping to Remington Park.

Danny Gargan, trainer of Tax, believes his horse is coming into the Discovery in top shape.

“He’s really, really good right now,” Gargan said. “He’s eating. I expect him to show up.”

Tax, who also figures to be prominent early, will break from the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Like Performer, Mubarmaj will be making his stakes and two-turn debut in the Discovery. A son of Curlin trained by Chad Brown, Mubarmaj finished third in his career debut sprinting at Saratoga and then won his maiden by 3 1/4 lengths at Belmont in September and a first-level allowance race at Belmont in October.

Jose Ortiz rides Mubarmaj from post 2.

En Wye Cee, who beat Mubarmaj when both debuted in August, seeks to give trainer Todd Pletcher his seventh victory in the Discovery. He won his first two starts before finishing third behind Gray Magician in a Keeneland allowance in October.

Ari Attack, a winner of two straight, Majid, Carlos L., and Grumps Little Tots complete the Discovery field.