Global Campaign dispatches Tacitus in Woodward to earn first Grade 1

Global Campaign and Tacitus turned the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward Stakes into a two-horse race down the backstretch. Global Campaign made it a one-horse race in the final furlong. 

Global Campaign and Luis Saez went to the front and set moderate fractions of :24.65, :48.89, 1:11.90 for the 1 1/4-miles Woodward with 3-5 favorite Tacitus lapped to his outside. But after a mile completed in 1:35.42 on Saturday at Saratoga, Global Campaign shook clear of that rival and went on to win comfortably by 1 3/4 lengths. 

Tacitus, who was seeking an elusive first Grade 1 victory, held second. Prioritize was next and was followed across the wire by Spinoff. Global Campaign, who was exiting a similar front-running score in they July 28 Monmouth Cup (G3) for Stanley Hough, paid $7.80 as the second choice. Final time on a fast track was 2:01.40.

"He has a lot of speed," Saez said. "He broke pretty good from the gate today and was right there. He controlled the pace. I had a lot of pressure but I wasn't worried about it. He kept fighting and he never gave up.

A $250,000 auction purchase owned by Sagamore Farm and breeder WinStar Farm, Global Campaign is a lightly raced, 4-year-old colt by Curlin out of the A.P. Indy mare Globe Trot. He improves his record to 9: 6-0-1 with the first Grade 1 win. 

Last year, Global Campaign won the Peter Pan (G3) at Belmont Park on the first Saturday in May after briefly being on the Kentucky Derby trail. He would also finish third in last year's Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga.

Prior to his win in the Monmouth Cup, in two prior starts this year he won a high-level optional claimer at Gulfstream Park and was sixth in the Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs in May.

"I gained a lot of confidence in [the Monmouth Cup] when he took a couple challenges and drew off a bit," Hough said. "One thing about this horse -- if he's ever got to lead at some point or another, he's won the race.

"I'm more than satisfied," Hough continued. "He beat a good horse. We're all excited. It's a great win. That's what the game is all about. You try to develop horses that will go on and be a sire and I believe he'll make a good one."