Performer meets the challenge in Discovery Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Danny Gargan, the trainer of beaten favorite Tax, may have summed up best what had just happened in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Discovery Stakes at Aqueduct.

“We hooked a special horse,” Gargan said.

Gargan was referring to Performer, who in his stakes debut turned aside an upper-stretch challenge from the multiple graded-stakes winner Tax to win the Discovery by 1 1/4 lengths under Joel Rosario. Tax, the 6-5 favorite, finished second by 9 1/4 lengths over Grumps Little Tots. En Wye Cee, Carlos L, Mubarmaj, and Air Attack completed the order of finish. Majid was scratched.

The win was the fourth in as many starts this year for Performer, a 3-year-old son of Speightstown owned by the Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm and trained by Shug McGaughey. Not only was Performer making his stakes debut, but it was his first race at 1 1/8 miles and first around two turns.

“Tax is a nice horse,” McGaughey said. “I think it was a pretty big step up, especially going two turns. I think I’ve asked quite a bit of him his last two starts, going a mile and a sixteenth [at Belmont] against 3-and-up and then to come back over here going two turns against graded company. I think that I have asked him to do quite a bit and he’s answered the question.”

McGaughey anticipated Performer being close up and he actually had the lead heading into and around the first turn. But Carlos L, under Kendrick Carmouche, cleared Performer and opened up a length lead after a half-mile in 47.86 seconds. Rosario was content to let Performer stalk Carlos L from second before Performer poked his head in front at the three-furlong pole.

Meanwhile, Tax, 4 1/2 lengths back after the opening half-mile under Irad Ortiz Jr., split horses coming to the quarter pole and moved within a half-length of Performer turning for home. The two were in close proximity until Performer edged away late and extended his margin at the wire.

“He broke sharp,” Rosario said. “He was there for me. He was in hand nice. The more I got into him the more he was there. Every time [Tax] came to him and challenged him a little bit he was there for me and responded.”

Performer covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.36 and returned $6.40 as the second choice.

McGaughey said Performer would head to South Florida and get a significant break. He will not consider races like the Pegasus at Gulfstream in January or Saudi Cup in February for him, but perhaps look to bring him back to Aqueduct in April in a race like the Grade 1 Carter.

Despite the loss, Gargan was actually quite pleased with how Tax ran, considering that he was a little farther back early than usual.

“I do like that he kicked home and he had more of an explosion,” Gargan said. “I was really pleased with the way he ran being fifth. I didn’t think we’d have to make up that much ground, but when he showed that he can do that it gives him another dimension.”

Tax will also head to Florida, with the Pegasus on Jan. 25 a possible target, Gargan said.