If 5-2 favorite Tacitus had lost Saturday’s $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2), he might have pointed to some rough passing in the first going at Aqueduct. But the blueblood shrugged it off and won anyway, improving his chances of giving global powerhouse Juddmonte Farms and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott a first Kentucky Derby (G1) trophy.
The boy of Tapit and champion Close Hatches was jeopardized repeatedly at the opening quarter-mile, since the official chart comments describe:”bumped soundly in the shadow of the starting gate because of pressure originating from Joevia, became rank on the bit approaching the conclusion of the homestretch, got clipped from behind by Overdeliver…”
From the time Tacitus muscled out entering the clubhouse turn, his backers might have believed that he’d already been through too much to fire his best shot.
“Some horses would have been frustrated with what occurred on the first turn,” Mott said later. “They might have backed out of it or decide they did not want any part of it after getting roughed up like that.”
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Tacitus proved the exception. Regrouping with regular rider Jose Ortiz, the grey found his rhythm in fourth as a fierce pace duel awakened front. Not That Brady was battling the aforementioned Joevia, who headed a chain reaction of trouble early, and finally got the upper hand in their match race. But paid the price for their exertions.
Tax, third seeing the duelists a lot of the way, was the first in position to overtake them. Nevertheless Tacitus was also on the movement on the far turn and shortly ranged alongside Tax at the stretch. Although Tax attempted to hang tough, Tacitus was too strong, and he edged apparent by 1??1/4 lengths.
Covering 1??1/8 miles in 1:51.23, Tacitus extended his winning streak to 3 while leapfrogging to the top of this Derby leaderboard with 150 points. He had broken his maiden at Aqueduct in November, grabbed his stakes debut at the March 9 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) to make 50 Derby points, and added 100 into his account.
Legislation scored 40 points since the runner-up, raising his tally to 52. Haikal closed for third, a 20-point result that lumps him around 70. Fourth-placer Math Wizard, maybe not a Triple Crown nominee, would get 10. Not That Brady drained to fifth, followed closely with the hampered Final Jeopardy. Joevia completed seventh but was disqualified and placed last because of his part in the first interference. Next came Hoffa’s Union; Grumps Little Tots; Outshine, a close second to Tacitus at Tampa but not involved here; and the distressed Overdeliver.
Tacitus has bankrolled $653,000 from his 4-3-0-0 record, but as a royally bred Derby danger, he is priceless.
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