Tacitus poised to get elusive Grade 1 victory in Jockey Club Gold Cup

ELMONT, N.Y – Tacitus has run well enough to win a Grade 1 race, he just hasn’t done it yet.

Three times second and twice third at this level, Tacitus will likely never have a better chance to get that first Grade 1 victory than in Saturday’s $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.

Tacitus will face only four rivals, who have combined to win two graded stakes. The Jockey Club Gold Cup is a Win and You’re In race for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

“He’ll be a Grade 1 horse if he ever gets it,” Bill Mott, the trainer of Tacitus, said. “They got to do it on the racetrack.”

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On this particular racetrack, Tacitus gave a Grade 1 performance winning the Grade 2 Suburban going 1 1/4 miles on July 4. That day, he was a stalking presence before taking over turning for home and cruising to victory.

In the Gold Cup, also at 1 1/4 miles, there is no confirmed speed. Tacitus, who will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, could find himself on the front end.

“If he breaks good and places himself up there that’ll be fine,” Mott said.

Mott cautioned that in races seemingly void of speed, someone who no one expects to be in front winds up taking the initiative. Mott said such was the case in last Saturday’s Grade 2 Gallant Bloom when his Frank’s Rockette loomed the speed on paper, but “somebody took a notion to go for it,” he said.

“Sometimes those horses have speed and they don’t allow them to show speed and they’re able,” he said.

Tacitus is making just his fifth start of the year, but he’s had a busy campaign. He began the year finishing fifth in the inaugural $20 million Saudi Cup in February. He shipped to Dubai in March for the $12 million World Cup, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With an uncertain racing schedule, Mott in April shipped Tacitus to Arkansas for the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap, where he finished fourth. After a two-month break, he won the Suburban. Following another two-month break, Tacitus finished second to a loose-on-the-lead Global Campaign in the Grade 1 Woodward at Saratoga.

The 3-year-olds Mystic Guide and Happy Saver both skipped last Saturday’s Preakness to run in the Gold Cup.

In the case of Mystic Guide, trainer Michael Stidham said he didn’t feel the Pimlico track would have favored his horse, who does his best running from off the pace.

“I thought he would be hard-pressed to be close enough to what I figured was going to be a fast enough early pace to be in position to have a chance to win turning for home, whereas in this race, going a mile and a quarter, and there isn’t a lot of pace, I think he can stay in closer contact, make that middle move and put himself in position to have a chance to win,” Stidham said.

Mystic Guide is coming off a victory in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy wearing blinkers for the first time. The blinkers achieved the purpose of having Mystic Guide run a complete race. Stidham thought the horse ran spotty in the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Saratoga on July 16.

“We have to take another step forward to be competitive,” Stidham said. “If we don’t, then we’re in trouble. I think our horse is up to it. He’s training great, he definitely physically and mentally is going forward since that last race.”

John Velazquez rides Mystic Guide from post 5.

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Happy Saver is trained by Todd Pletcher, who is still seeking his first victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He has seven second-place finishes from 23 starters over 15 runnings. Last year, the Pletcher-trained Vino Rosso finished first in the race, only to be disqualified for interfering in the stretch with Code of Honor.

Happy Saver is 3 for 3, including two victories going 1 1/8 miles. Pletcher believes the added furlong will only benefit Happy Saver.

“He certainly gives me that impression watching him train,” Pletcher said.

Happy Saver breaks from the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Prioritize, third in the Woodward last out, and Name Changer, winner of the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup in 2018, complete the field.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup goes as race 9 on an 11-race card that begins at 12:20 p.m. and includes three other Grade 1 stakes – the Champagne for 2-year-olds and Frizette for 2-year-old fillies, and the Flower Bowl for females on turf – as well as the Grade 2, $150,000 Sands Point for 3-year-old fillies on turf.

The Flower Bowl, Gold Cup, and Sands Point will be part of the Empire 6, which begins with race 6 and has a mandatory payout on Saturday. There was a $352,831 carryover heading into Thursday’s card.