Belmont

 Hopeful Tax Putting Stone Bruise Behind Him
Preakness Stakes (G1) winner War of Will arrives at Belmont Park.

If it were up to trainer Danny Gargan, the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) would be moved up from June 8.

He'd be fine with running it four or five days earlier.

While it might sound as if Gargan is auditioning for a career as a showman, it has nothing to do with marketing and everything to do with his Belmont Stakes candidate Tax.

Two days after the Arch gelding suffered a minor foot bruise following a workout, Gargan was delighted with what he was seeing the morning of June 3 as Tax walked the shed row.

"The other day, his work was good (four furlongs in :49.03, June 1 at Belmont Park) but coming back to the barn, he stepped on a rock and got a little stone bruise. So, we've been working on that. (Farrier) Ian McKinlay came by today and glued (his shoes). He's perfectly sound. He only had a problem for a few steps. Fifteen minutes later, he was sound," Gargan said. "If the race was today or tomorrow, we'd run him."

While Gargan intends to enter Tax at the June 4 post position draw for the $1.5 million stakes, as a precaution, he said he will continue to monitor the 3-year-old and if anything is amiss before Saturday, he'll scratch Tax from the 1 1/2-mile "Test of the Champion".

"We're going to enter him tomorrow with Irad Ortiz Jr. riding and see how the week goes. As long as he's 100% we'll run him, and if there are any hiccups, we'll do the right thing by the horse (and not run)," Gargan said.

Tax, who was moved up to 14th in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), merely jogged Monday and will resume galloping Tuesday.

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''He's eating everything and his legs are tight," Gargan said about the gelding who has two wins and two seconds in six career starts. "It was just one of those things. Maybe I overreacted but we'll see."

Bred in Kentucky by Claiborne Farm and Adele B. Dilschneider out of the Giant's Causeway mare Toll, Tax was claimed from his breeders for $50,000 by Gargan on behalf of Hugh Lynch off an Oct. 21 victory at Keeneland in his second start.

As the ownership group has grown to include Randy A. Hill Stable, Lucas Stritsman's Corms Racing Stable, and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Tax has assembled a 3-year-old season that features a win in the Withers Stakes (G3) and a runner-up finish in the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2) behind Tacitus, who figures to be one of the favorites in the Belmont Stakes.

Second Chance Brings Added Value to Owners of Tax

Monday's Belmont Stakes news also involved the early morning arrival of Preakness Stakes (G1) winner War of Will. The War Front  colt walked off the van at about 5 a.m. and spent a leisurely morning at trainer Mark Casse's barn.

"He's doing fine," said Jamie Begg, Casse's New York-based assistant. "He settled in nicely and his energy level seems to be up."

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Begg said owner Gary Barber's 3-year-old will be taken to the paddock and jog Tuesday.

Casse's other Belmont Stakes entrant, Tracy Farmer's homebred Sir Winston, galloped 1 1/2 miles around the main track, according to Begg.

Juddmonte Farm's Tacitus, the Wood Memorial winner who was elevated to third in the Kentucky Derby, jogged a mile around the training track for trainer Bill Mott, a day after his five-furlong breeze in 1:00.42, the fastest of 16 works at that distance.

"It was just to let him go out and do something," assistant trainer Leanna Willaford said. "He looked bright and alert. Cleaned up his feed and looked happy."

Trainer Todd Pletcher's two candidates for the final leg of the Triple Crown, Spinoff and Intrepid Heart, both stretched their legs for a 1 1/2-mile trip around the main track.

"Spinoff galloped while Intrepid Heart jogged," Pletcher said. "Both seemed very good. They seemed to be moving well. Their energy levels were good. Their appetites were good. It was all of the positive signs you are looking for."

In their last races, Spinoff, a homebred son of Hard Spun  owned by Wertheimer and Frere, was 18th in the Kentucky Derby, while Intrepid Heart, a Tapit  3-year-old owned by Lawana and Robert Low, was third in the Peter Pan Stakes (G3) after a stumbling start.

Calumet Farm's Everfast, the Preakness runner-up, put in his final work for the Belmont Stakes Monday with a five-furlong breeze in 1:01 at Churchill Downs for trainer Dale Romans. It was the seventh-fastest of 16 works at that distance.

A field of 10 is expected for the 151st Belmont Stakes, with the Japanese starter Master Fencer—who can collect a $1 million bonus for winning the race—Joevia, and Bourbon War, who galloped 1 1/8 miles Monday, also among the likely entrants.