Trainer Casse feeling out Tap It to Win in H. Allen Jerkens

Tap It to Win, coming off of a fifth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes on June 20, will start from the outside post in a field of 11 in the Grade 1, $300,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial at Saratoga on Saturday, a spot that doesn't displease trainer Mark Casse. Before the Belmont Stakes, Tap It to Win won a 1 1/6-mile allowance race on June 4 at Belmont Park, preceded by a score at 6 furlongs at Gulfstream Park.

“I don’t mind it because we’re cutting back, obviously,” Casse said of the 7-furlong Jerkens. “When we ran him down in Miami, he rated nicely off the lead and I think, given the outside post, John [Velazquez] is going to be able to -- you’ve got a long run down the backside, he’ll be able to use some of his speed.”

Casse praised Tap It to Win’s recent work, saying that the horse has a lot of upside.

“He works well,” Casse said. “He’s a good workhorse. He’s an extremely talented horse. When he comes with his A-game, he’s tough.”

The son of Tapit will face a tough field of 3-year-olds, including Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) winner No Parole. Casse said he has no concrete plans for Tap It to Win after the Jerkens, instead opting to feel out the colt, who will be racing at this distance for the first time in his career.

“He did win going a mile and a sixteenth” Casse said. “We’re cutting him back down to 7/8. I’ll run him a few more times this year." He said the owner, Live Oak Plantation, "is very patient. We’re not going to overdo it this year, we like to let him grow up. Hopefully, we have a really good 4-year old.”

Casse also provided an update on another colt in his barn, Enforceable, whom he previously said was heading straight to the Kentucky Derby after taking fourth place in the Blue Grass Stakes on July 11. Casse said that the everything was going as planned for the colt, also a son of Tapit.

“He’s doing very well,” Casse said. “He’s breezing again this weekend. All systems are go.”