Francesca LeDonne Photo

Tacitus in fine fettle ahead of G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup

by NYRA Press Office

• 'Firenze' ready to fire in G1 Vosburgh; Call Paul pointed to New Castle at Delaware
• Pletcher looking to continue strong start with Vino Rosso in G1 JCGC
• The Gray Blur seeks breakthrough win in G3 Pilgrim

The regally-bred Tacitus, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott for owner-breeder Juddmonte Farms, arrived at Belmont Park from his Saratoga Race Course base on Tuesday to finalize preparations for his start in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Saturday's lucrative Jockey Club Gold Cup Day card features four graded stakes, including two Breeders' Cup Win and You're In events with the Jockey Club Gold Cup offering a berth in the Grade 1, $6 million Classic and the Grade 1, $300,000 Vosburgh providing a berth in the Grade 1, $2 million Sprint, both on Saturday, November 2 at Santa Anita Park.

America's Day at the Races will present live national television coverage of Jockey Club Gold Cup Day at Belmont, which also features the Grade 2, $300,000 Beldame and Grade 3, $200,000 Pilgrim, from 2:30-6:30 p.m. on FS2 with regional coverage airing on MSG Networks from 3:30-6:30 p.m.

Mott said the Tapit grey, out of 2014 Eclipse Award-winning older mare Close Hatches, has trained well out of his strong second to Jockey Club Gold Cup rival Code of Honor on August 24 in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers.

"I'm happy with him. We think he looks good," said Mott. "He arrived here at Belmont on Tuesday and has trained Wednesday and today."

Tacitus has breezed three times following the Travers, including a swift four furlongs in 48.49 seconds on September 15 on the Oklahoma training track.

Tacitus boasts a record of 3-3-1 from eight starts led by scores in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by NYRA Bets. The talented colt competed in two-thirds of the Triple Crown where he was placed third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and rallied for second in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

A compact field of five for the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup includes Grade 1-winners Code of Honor, Vino Rosso and Preservationist along with the streaking Olympic Village.

Tacitus, who used a closing style in his graded wins, was forwardly placed in the Travers with the addition of blinkers. He will keep the blinkers on for Saturday's test versus older horses and Mott said he didn't mind the small field and that a return to Belmont could be beneficial.

"You know, I'd rather try to outrun four than 14," said Mott. "He's run well at Tampa. He's run well at Aqueduct. So, I'm not sure if it will make a big difference one way or another, but he's a big horse and the big, sweeping turns certainly aren't going to hurt him."

Mott said China Horse Club International, WinStar Farm, and Head of Plains Partners' Yoshida, a Grade 1 winner on dirt and turf, will train up to the Breeders' Cup Classic.

"He'll go straight to the Breeders' Cup. I think he'll run good fresh," said Mott.

Last year, Yoshida captured the Grade 1 Woodward presented by NYRA Bets to go along with a victory in the Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic at Churchill Downs.

Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R. A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Channel Maker, a multiple Grade-1 winning son of English Channel, will look to defend his title in the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on October 5 at Belmont.

"He's doing great. We're going to try and win another one with him," said Mott.

Channel Maker, bred in Ontario by the Tall Oaks Farm of Ivan Dalos, has competed in the past two renewals of the 1 1/2-mile turf test finishing sixth in 2017 and romping to a 4 1/2-length front-running score last year.

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'Firenze' ready to fire in G1 Vosburgh; Call Paul pointed to New Castle at Delaware

Mr. Amore Stable's Firenze Fire, a Grade 1-winning son of Poseidon's Warrior, is training well coming into Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Vosburgh trainer Jason Servis said.

The talented 4-year-old has won three-of-four starts at Belmont, including wins in the 2017 Grade 1 Champagne, 2018 Grade 3 Dwyer, and 2019 Runhappy.

"He's training okay. He seems to favor Belmont Park," said Servis.

Last out, Firenze Fire rallied from fifth to complete the exacta behind a runaway Mitole in the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga.

"I think he ran great last time out. I was very pleased with that effort." said Servis.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. retains the mount on Firenze Fire on Saturday and Servis said he is looking forward to a strong effort from the versatile colt, who boasts wins from five furlongs up to a mile.

"I've got a horse that likes the track and a jockey who is riding great. That's as good as it can be right now coming into the race," said Servis.

Servis also noted Michael Dubb, David Simon and Bethlehem Stables' Call Paul, a multiple graded-stakes winning son of Friesan Fire, will skip the Vosburgh and opt for Saturday's $100,000 New Castle at Delaware Park.

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Pletcher looking to continue strong start with Vino Rosso in G1 JCGC

With nine winners from 29 starts through the first three weeks of the Belmont fall meet, conditioner Todd Pletcher will look to capture his first graded stakes of the stand sending out a triumvirate of runners for Saturday's Jockey Club Gold Cup Day card at Belmont Park.

Pletcher will saddle Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's multiple graded-stakes winner Vino Rosso in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup.

A son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, Vino Rosso, making his first start since finishing third in the Grade 1 Whitney on August 3 at Saratoga, will attempt to match his sire's feat in winning Saturday's Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Pletcher had initially entered Vino Rosso in the Grade 1 Woodward on August 31 but decided to scratch in favor of the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

The veteran conditioner said he is optimistic his alternate plan works out in pointing for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

"Anytime you make a decision to scratch you never know for sure if you made the right decision, but we felt like with five weeks from this race until the Breeders' Cup [Classic] was the best program for him," said Pletcher. "He seems like he's training as good as ever and the mile and quarter distance should suit him fine."

Irad Ortiz, Jr. has picked up the mount aboard Vino Rosso with regular pilot John Velazquez committed to riding Grade 1 Travers-winner Code of Honor on Saturday.

"Irad has breezed him the last two times and the pair seem to have a good rapport. Obviously, Irad's credentials speak for themselves," said Pletcher. "It's an interesting matchup between two of the better older horses in training [Vino Rosso, Preservationist] and two of the better 3-year-olds [Code of Honor, Tacitus] so it's always interesting to see how they'll run against each other for the first time."

Beldame Madaket Stables, Elayne Stables and Brian Martin's Another Broad will look to challenge multiple graded stakes winner Midnight Bisou in the Grade 2, $300,000 Beldame.

The 4-year-old daughter of Include has one win from five starts this year winning the Top Flight Invitational at Aqueduct Racetrack in April. Since then, she finished fourth in the Grade 3 DuPont Distaff at Pimlico Racetrack followed by a third-place finish in the Obeah and seventh in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park.

"I thought she put in a really good breeze here the other day, so we decided to take a look at this race while she's in good form. More graded stakes black type would be a welcome addition to her resume," said Pletcher.

Rounding out Pletcher's stakes contingent is No Word for owner Wertheimer and Frere in the Grade 3, $200,000 Pilgrim for juveniles.

A 2 ½ length maiden debut winner on August 31 at Saratoga at the Pilgrim distance, Pletcher said he looks for the Silent Name colt to improve while making his graded stakes debut.

"He trained like the kind of colt that could win in his debut and we were happy to see him do it," said Pletcher. "He's come back with a couple of good breezes over the turf course at Saratoga and we're looking forward to get him going again."

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The Gray Blur seeks breakthrough win in G3 Pilgrim

Trainer Chris Davis believes that he has a highly talented turf juvenile on his hands with The Gray Blur, and the young conditioner is hoping he displays such talent when shipping to Belmont Park for Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Pilgrim over the inner turf.

Owned by Michael Faber's Dare To Dream Stable, the gray or roan son of first crop sire Fast Anna graduated in his second career start besting next-out stakes winner Flap Jack by a half-length going one mile over the lawn at Arlington Park.

The maiden win came after an off-the-board effort over Arlington's all weather surface one month earlier.

"The first time he ran he was a little green down the lane and it was just baby, first-time stuff. We put blinkers on him in his next race and that really seemed to focus him up more," Davis said.

Last out, The Gray Blur made his stakes debut in the Gainesway Farm Juvenile at Kentucky Downs, where he had the lead at the top of the stretch but faded to sixth, beaten 5 ¾ lengths.

"It's just like [jockey] Adam [Beschizza] told me, he's not aggressive, just naturally quick," Davis said. "Sometimes they get tired second time routing. He was head and head for the lead up until the sixteenth pole. Fitness-wise, he's improved. He's back on a flat surface and the weather in New York looks great this weekend."

Davis had options with The Gray Blur, including the Grade 3, $200,000 Bourbon at Keeneland and the $100,000 Zuma Beach at Santa Anita, both on October 6, but opted to send the horse to New York. Should he put up a solid effort, the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on November 1 is a possibility.

"We've had success running in stakes in New York. It's a good stepping stone for the ultimate goal which is the Breeders' Cup if we run well enough," said Davis.

Bred in Kentucky by Woods Edge Farm, The Gray Blur was purchased for $55,000 from the Ocala Breeders Sales Company's 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale in March. He is out of the graded stakes placed Smart Strike broodmare Special Grayce.

"We bought him in March at the OBS Sale and I think we pretty much stole him for that price. His pedigree and his demeanor always struck me as a two-turn horse," Davis said.

Based primarily in Chicago, Davis notched his first stakes victory as a trainer on the NYRA circuit last summer when Moonlit Garden took the Summer Colony at Saratoga. A victory in the Pilgrim would give Davis his first graded stakes victory.

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche will pilot The Gray Blur from post 9.