Kentucky Derby trail: Tacitus upsets in Tampa Bay Derby

A week after trainer Bill Mott and Juddmonte Farms sent out a defeated favorite on the 2019 Kentucky Derby trail, the connections wound up on the opposite end of an prep race upset when Tacitus did his best running late to strike Saturday in the Grade 2, $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby.

Off at 8-1, the regally bred son of Tapit, the first foal out of champion Close Hatches, ran between horses in deep stretch, failing to merit a call by the track announcer until he was alone in front under jockey Jose Ortiz.

Outshine finished second by 1 1/4 lengths, Win Win Win was third and Zenden fourth with Tacitus' final time for 1 1/16 miles a stakes record 1:41.90.

"I took a lot (of dirt), but the dirt doesn’t stick as much here as some other tracks, so I think it was good for my horse," Ortiz said. "He’s a little green still, but we got a rail trip and it opened up for us.

"He’s a big horse and when he made the lead, he didn’t keep going; he kind of waited a little bit. He does everything so easy and I don’t know if he’s given me 100 percent yet – I don’t think so."

Zenden wore down the last prep winner at Tampa, Sam F. Davis (G3) hero Well Defined, to set up Tacitus' late surge. Ortiz maneuvered his mount outside through the first turn, inside when he could save some ground and then one path off the rail in deep stretch, emerging from an otherwise blanketed finish of horses at the wire.

"I liked him a lot better today at the 3/8 pole than I did at the 5/8 pole," Mott said, "because it looked like when he was trying to get between horses, I couldn’t tell if he was maybe fighting with the racetrack. He was climbing a little bit but once he got through between those horses, he really got some confidence and got some momentum."

Derby qualifying points paid out on a 50-20-10-5 basis to the Top 4 finishers of this race, ensuring Tacitus, should he remain healthy, is in the field for the May 4 race at Churchill Downs.

Tacitus had run just twice before Saturday, but even as Hidden Scroll's profile rose, Mott always made sure to mention the regally bred stablemate, who broke his maiden at second asking Nov. 10 at Aqueduct to enter the Tampa Bay Derby off a nearly four-month layoff.

"We’ve always liked this horse and thought he could be a horse that would be on the Derby trail," said Mott, who ordered Lasix for Tacitus for the first time Saturday.

Going into the final round of Derby preps, Hidden Scroll will get another chance after fourth in the Fountain of Youth, while Mott-trained Country House is heading to the Louisiana Derby (G2). A Kentucky Derby win remains one major void on the Hall of Famer's resume.