With Tax, Reeves family finds a new way to the Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby 2019 contender Tax galloped a mile and a half at Churchill Downs Tuesday the morning after arriving from New York.

Dean Reeves, who, along with his wife Patti, partnered with R.A. Hill Stable in joining Tax’s ownership group, was on hand to watch the Wood Memorial (G2) runner-up stretch his legs in preparation for a start in Saturday’s race. Tax will be the second Derby starter for the Reeves, who co-owned 2011 third-place finisher Mucho Macho Man, who would go on to win the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Reeves recalled the “enormity” of his first Derby experience, but he doesn’t remember all the details of Mucho Macho Man’s 1 1/4-mile journey under the Twin Spires.

“That’s more of a blur, because you can’t see your horse and you can’t really hear the announcer," he said. "You’re trying to get an idea of where your horse is compared to everybody else. Everybody can find the one in the front. We really didn’t pick him up until the turn from home.

"You have that moment of letdown that you didn’t win. Then you realize, ‘The horse just finished third in the Kentucky Derby. That ain’t so bad.’”

The Reeves bought into Tax’s ownership group after trainer Danny Gargan claimed the son of Arch for $50,000 at Keeneland last October and saddled him for a subsequent third-place finish in the Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct in December. The 3-year-old gelding proved to be a wise investment in his very first start for the Reeves when he captured the Withers (G3) on Feb. 2.

The Reeves watched on a cellphone in the paddock at Gulfstream Park, where they had a horse running in the Swale Stakes (G2) that same afternoon.

“We’re in the paddock watching him run and he comes up the rail. We’re cheering away and realized we just won the Withers and have a horse with Derby potential,” Reeves said. “It was pretty cool.”

Tax went on to finish second in the Wood to earn enough points to qualify for the 20-horse Derby field.

“He (jockey Junior Alvarado) had to move early on him," Reeves said, "but we wanted to make sure we were first or second,” Reeves said.