Tacitus back in New York to ready for Belmont Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Tacitus, the winner of the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and the third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, returned to New York on Wednesday and is based at Belmont Park, where on June 8 he will run in the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes, potentially as the favorite.

At 5-1, Tacitus went off as the third betting choice in the Kentucky Derby. Aside from getting squeezed back to 16th early on, Tacitus had a relatively clean trip in a messily run Derby. He did have to come about eight wide in the stretch and ended up in a three-horse battle for fourth, prevailing by a head over Improbable, who was a half-length better than Game Winner.

With the disqualification of Maximum Security from first to 17th, Tacitus was elevated to third, while his stablemate Country House was moved up to first from second.

On Wednesday, while Country House returned to trainer Bill Mott’s Churchill Downs barn after being treated for an illness at the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., Tacitus vanned from Churchill to Belmont.

Tacitus galloped over Belmont’s main track on Friday and was scheduled to have a workout Saturday.

“He looks exactly the same as when he came in for the Wood,” said Leana Willaford, Mott’s Belmont Park-based assistant.

Though it is still early, others expected to run in the Belmont include Game Winner, Master Fencer, Sir Winston, and Intrepid Heart. Tax, 14th in the Kentucky Derby, is going to be trained toward the Belmont but could skip it and point to the Belmont Derby on turf July 6.