Tax works strong half-mile for Travers; Endorsed confirmed for race

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – To this point, trainer Danny Gargan has been able to able to avoid the pratfalls that have plagued some of his colleagues as far as preparing a horse for this year’s Travers.

Gargan trains Tax, the Grade 2 Jim Dandy winner who on Friday worked a strong half-mile in 47.16 seconds over Saratoga’s main track – the fastest of 63 workouts at the distance – in preparation for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes. There was a brief anxious moment for Gargan when Tax was galloping out past the finish line, as a horse trained by Chad Brown had unseated his rider and started running loose up the stretch, passing Tax and his workmate, Nan’s Plan.

Gargan admitted to blurting out an audible expletive watching the work from the box seats before being able to exhale.

“He actually came closer to my other horse,” Gargan said of the loose horse who was corralled down the backside without incident.

As for the work, Gargan was extremely happy with the move, in which Tax started several lengths behind the 3-year-old maiden-claiming-winning filly Nan’s Plan, before darting up the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr. Tax went his first quarter in 23.38 and his second quarter in 23.78 before galloping out five furlongs in 59.91 and six furlongs in 1:12.63.

Gargan felt Friday’s workout was “probably better” than Tax’s half-mile breeze in 47.09 the week before he won the Jim Dandy.

“They’re pretty similar, but I think he looked a little better doing it today,” Gargan said. “When he has company he’s a better workhorse. If I work him by himself he doesn’t really get into it. And, I’m trying to teach him to sit in behind horses and he’s getting better at it.”

Tax, who worked during a brief rain shower, was one of two Travers horses to put in workouts Friday at Saratoga. Endorsed, runner-up in the Curlin Stakes, worked a half-mile in 48.22, going by himself in quarters of 24.33 and 23.89. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.47 and six furlongs in 1:15.10.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said he was pleased with what he saw and said Endorsed would run in the Travers.

“He’s happy, doing great, we’re happy with him,” McLaughlin said.

Joel Rosario worked Endorsed and will ride him in the Travers. Rosario was supposed to ride Game Winner, but that horse was withdrawn from consideration Thursday morning due to a virus, according to trainer Bob Baffert.

Maximum Security, like Game Winner, is owned by Gary and Mary West. He was withdrawn from Travers consideration Thursday afternoon because trainer Jason Servis didn’t feel the horse was 100 percent. He has been slow to bounce back from his victory in the Haskell on July 20.

There are 10 horses considered definite and two more under consideration for the Travers. Post positions will be drawn Tuesday evening during a reception at the Adelphi Hotel in downtown Saratoga Springs.

In alphabetical order, with expected riders, the Travers field is expected to include Chess Chief (Tyler Gaffalione), Code of Honor (John Velazquez), Endorsed (Joel Rosario), Everfast (TBD), Highest Honors (Luis Saez), Laughing Fox (Ricardo Santana Jr.), Looking At Bikinis (Javier Castellano), Owendale (Florent Geroux), Tacitus (Jose Ortiz), and Tax (Irad Ortiz Jr.).

Scars Are Cool, a recent maiden winner, and Spinoff, a recent allowance winner, are still being considered, according to their trainers.