Post 12 will force Tax's hand in 150th Travers

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Before Tuesday’s post-position draw there was some doubt where the pace would come from in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes.

After Tax drew the outside post in the 12-horse field, Danny Gargan, the trainer of Tax, left no doubt where the pace will come from in the 150th running of the Mid-summer Derby. Gargan plans to have jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. send Tax from the outside.

“There’s going to be a lot of pace in this race now,” Gargan said. “Whoever goes, is going to have to go real fast because I have no choice. So I’m coming out running and we’ll see where we end up. If somebody comes up the inside they’re going to have to run fast.

“I think I’m bringing the fittest, fastest horse to the race so I’m going to make everybody chase the whole way,” Gargan added. “If they let me get way loose I’m going to get real loose.”

Tax, who won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy from a stalking position, was one of three 6-1 choices on David Aragona’s morning line for the Travers. Tacitus, who stumbled at the break and finished second to Tax in the Jim Dandy, drew post 6 and was made the 5-2 favorite, followed by Dwyer Stakes winner Code of Honor, who drew post 2 and is the 4-1 second choice. Code of Honor and Tax were the last two names called at Tuesday’s post draw at the Adelphi Hotel.

In addition to Tax, the other 6-1 choices are Owendale (post 1) and Mucho Gusto (post 7).

Despite the post, Gargan feels good about Tax coming into the Travers. Tax won the Jim Dandy following a fourth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes, where he was beaten only two lengths.

“If he’s good enough to win it, he’ll win it,” Gargan said. “He’s good right now. He looks phenomenal, he’s training great, he’s fit.”

Tacitus finished second as the favorite in the Belmont Stakes, in which he had a wide trip, and the Jim Dandy, in which he stumbled badly at the start. Trainer Bill Mott is adding blinkers to Tacitus’ equipment in hopes of getting him to focus.

“I don’t know that they’re going to add any more speed to him, but I think they’re going to make him focus a little bit more,” said Mott, who is in search of his first Travers victory.

Earlier this year, Mott won his first Kentucky Derby with Country House, who finished second but was put up to first following the disqualification of Maximum Security.

Asked what it would mean to win a Travers, Mott said, “I think it would mean as much to me as a Triple Crown race, I’m not so sure it wouldn’t mean more. It’s been a race I’ve watched every year for quite a while. A lot of good horses come together in this race.”

This year’s Travers will not have any winners of the Triple Crown races. Country House is done for the year. Preakness winner War of Will, fifth in the Jim Dandy, is pointing to the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx on Sept. 21. Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston has been getting time off with a late fall or early winter return to the races.

Maximum Security, the dual Grade 1 winner and pro-tem leader of the 3-year-old division, has been slow to recover from his Haskell victory and may point to the Pennsylvania Derby.

The Travers field does have Code of Honor, who won the Fountain of Youth and Dwyer, finished third in the Kentucky Derby and was moved up to second. He is looking to give trainer Shug McGaughey a fourth Travers victory.

Trainer Bob Baffert is also seeking a fourth Travers win with Mucho Gusto, who finished second to Maximum Security in the Haskell. He is a four-time Grade 3 stakes winner.

Mucho Gusto arrived at Saratoga on Tuesday afternoon following a cross-country flight from California that stopped in Kentucky to pick up Travers hopefuls Owendale, winner of the Ohio Derby, and Chess Chief, runner-up in the West Virginia Derby.

Trainer Chad Brown sends out Highest Honors and Looking At Bikinis, the first- and third-place finishers from the Curlin Stakes here on July 26. Endorsed, second in the Curlin, is also entered in the Travers.

Everfast and Laughing Fox, second and fifth in the Preakness, respectively, and recent maiden winner Scars Are Cool complete the field.

The Travers will go as race 11 on a 13-race card that begins at 11:35 a.m. and includes five other Grade 1 stakes - the Sword Dancer, Forego, H. Allen Jerkens, Ballerina, and Personal Ensign. The Travers will be shown live on FOX in a one-hour broadcast beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern.