By Joe Bianca
Two years ago, for the first time since 1982 and only the second time ever, all three winners of the spring Classics met up in the GI Travers S., only for none of them to come out on top as West Coast (Flatter) started his blitz to champion 3-year-old honors. This Saturday at Saratoga, zero of the three Triple Crown race winners will enter the gate for the Midsummer Derby, but that hasn't tamped down the intrigue, as 12 sophomores go postward looking to take advantage of one of the few remaining opportunities to plant their respective flags in a still-murky race for champion 3-year-old.
The narrow standard-bearer in the division right now, Gary and Mary West's Maximum Security (New Year's Day), decided to pass on the race and chase the GI Pennsylvania Derby, so favoritism in this 150th running of the Saratoga meet centerpiece has fallen to Juddmonte Farms' Tacitus (Tapit), who, with a few more breaks, could be sitting on top himself.
Reeling off victories in the GII Tampa Bay Derby and GII Wood Memorial S. to start his campaign, the gray son of champion Close Hatches (First Defence) ran well with a rough trip to be third in the GI Kentucky Derby. Passing on the GI Preakness S., he produced a winning effort when runner-up to Sir Winston (Awesome Again) in the GI Belmont S., covering 65 more feet than the winner from his far-outside post. Resurfacing in the GII Jim Dandy S., he had another unlucky trip, going down to his nose at the start and finishing a game second despite racing over a deep rail through much of the stretch.
Besting him that day was rival Tax (Arch), who Tacitus got the better of in the Wood Memorial, Derby and Belmont. The Jim Dandy was a breakthrough victory for the overachieving gelding, who had mostly been getting pieces in big races since being claimed for $50,000 by Danny Gargan last fall at Keeneland. Pulling the 12 post at Tuesday's draw, Gargan made no secrets about the plan from the gate for Tax, saying, “We're going to see how fast they are now. Somebody's going to have to be real fast, because I'm going to have to heat it up. I have no choice from the 12 hole.”
Shug McGaughey has won the Travers three times, but not since sending Coronado's Quest out to victory in 1998, and will saddle the morning-line's second choice in W.S. Farish's Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}). Victor of the GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 2 at Gulfstream, the homebred was third behind Maximum Security in a merry-go-round GI Xpressbet Florida Derby before finishing second in the roughly run Derby. Given a brief break, he returned with a scintillating success in the one-mile GIII Dwyer S. July 6 at Belmont, rallying from last into a slow pace to score going away.
“I think he's come a long way in the last two or three months,” said McGaughey. “He's a laid-back, one-run type of horse and that's what we'll try to do with him. Hopefully, at the quarter pole, we're in a decent position where he can go on and make his run and see what happens.”
Chad Brown is having another stellar meet at Saratoga en route to a nearly certain fourth consecutive Eclipse Award, but the Mechanicville native is still searching for his first Travers win, and will start a pair of contenders in Saturday's renewal. Farish's lightly raced Highest Honors (Tapit) was a neck second after fighting through stretch traffic on debut Apr. 20 at Keeneland and graduated next out June 1 at Belmont before rallying to victory in the Curlin S. here July 26. Brown also will be represented by Looking At Bikinis (Lookin At Lucky), who started his career two-for-two before checking in third while racing on a dead rail in the Curlin.
Bob Baffert, whose champion Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) was declared from the race last week, looks for his third Travers in four years with Michael Lund Petersen's 'TDN Rising Star' Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man). Never out of the trifecta in eight career tries, the chestnut picked up graded tallies in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S., GIII Laz Barrera S. and GIII Affirmed S. earlier this year before finishing a clear second to Maximum Security in the GI TVG.com Haskell Invitational last out.
Rupp Racing's Owendale (Into Mischief) followed up an upset conquest of the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. with a good third in the GI Preakness S. Bypassing a try at the Belmont, the chestnut earned a game victory in the GIII Ohio Derby last out and drew the rail for this return to Grade I company.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
