SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. _ Coming off an emphatic victory in the Grade 2 Suburban Stakes two months ago at Belmont Park, Tacitus warrants favoritism in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga.
In Global Campaign and Spinoff he faces two rivals whose connections believe are about ready to have a breakout performance of their own. So while the Woodward drew only a six-horse field, there is perhaps more intrigue than the short field suggests.
The Woodward, this year extended to 1 \ miles from 1 [ miles, is the featured event on a 12-race Saratoga card that begins at 11:45 a.m. It includes the Grade 2 Jim Dandy for 3-year-olds, the Grade 2 Prioress for 3-year-old filly sprinters, and the Grade 2 Glens Falls for marathon female turf horses.
Sent off the third choice at 5-1 in last year's Kentucky Derby, Tacitus finished fourth (elevated to third with the disqualification of Maximum Security). He would then run second as the favorite in the Belmont Stakes, Jim Dandy, and Travers.
Tacitus racked up seven consecutive losses before he rolled to an 8 }-length victory in the Suburban, run at 1 \ miles on July 4. The Woodward and the Jockey Club Gold Cup (Oct. 10 at Belmont) are also at that distance, which leads up to the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic, another 1 \-mile race, on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.
Trainer Bill Mott had given Tacitus two months off in between a fourth in the Oaklawn Handicap in May and the Suburban and has similar spacing to the Woodward.
"He's fresh. We gave him a good amount of time since his last race," said Mott, a four-time Woodward winner. "We like the distance of the race coming up."
Mott had put blinkers back on Tacitus for the Suburban, though he's not sure how much they helped.
"You look at his speed figures, he runs nearly the same Ragozin and Thoro-Graph numbers with blinkers or without, whether he was up close or coming from behind," Mott said.
John Velazquez rode Tacitus in the Suburban, but he is at Churchill Downs for the Derby. Jose Ortiz, aboard for three Tacitus victories last year, regains the mount.
Trainer Stan Hough has always been high on Global Campaign, who won last year's Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont but who was hampered by foot issues thereafter. He has gone 2 for 3 this year with a gutsy victory in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup, which followed a disappointing effort in the Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Hough had removed the blinkers from Global Campaign's equipment for the Monmouth Cup.
"He was coming off a subpar race and I couldn't come up with too many answers, so I tried something and took the blinkers off," Hough said.
Global Campaign raced on the lead in the Monmouth Cup, came back on after being passed by Bal Harbour, then held off Math Wizard to win.
"I think he's got a pretty good pace to him," Hough said. "He showed a lot courage in his last race and I just hope we build on it."
Luis Saez, aboard for three of Global Campaign's five career wins, will ride him for the first time this year.
Spinoff's two best races have come going 1 [ miles at Saratoga. He is coming off a sharp 2 }-length victor in the Alydar Stakes here on Aug. 9.
"You always worry about a horse regressing off a top effort, but he's a mature horse, carries good condition," said trainer Todd Pletcher, a three-time Woodward winner. "Based on the way he's breezing, he's giving me the indication he's still moving forward. Now he's got to do it at a mile and a quarter against some top-level horses."
Pletcher also sends out Moretti, who is coming off a 1 {-length victory in the Birdstone Stakes going 1 } miles here on Aug. 2.
Math Wizard, winner of the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at 3, is wheeling back eight days after a fifth-place finish in the Charles Town Classic.
Prioritize, trained by James Bond, is coming off an allowance win going nine furlongs here on July 25.
