I'm very happy to own a horse that I feel has a great shot at making the field for the Kentucky Derby.
Tag You're It is a huge chestnut colt by Take A Gander out of Status Tower. TAG, of course, finished 3rd in the 2007 Kentucky Derby behind legends Pegasus Song and Lazy Loper.
In deference to his illustrious sire, Otsego trainers have taken to calling our colt Tag as well, and he certainly seems to be a chip off the old block. At the end of 2019, his record was 5-2-1-1 with a string of three consecutive 100+ PSR's.
He is extremely comfortable on dirt, and has the stamina for 12F, so it is felt that he can contend not just for the Derby and Preakness, but for the Belmont as well. Of course, the first step is qualification, so he will undoubtedly be managed as carefully as possible in 2020 to ensure a berth in the Derby.
When asked about this colt's chances to gain a invitation to the KYD, Otsego owner Jim Webber was cautious, "We're gonna do our best to put him in a position to qualify, but sometimes things go wrong."
Of course, with that comment, Webber was referring to the failure of Helikaon, a highly touted 3yo last year, to make the Derby cut.
In response to a question about other 3yo's that may pose an obstacle to Tag You're It, Webber said, "There are a lot of horses that concern me. The first one that comes to mind though, is the Snowbank colt Graverobber. We beat him in the Futurity and he got us in the Juvenile. I'm sure our paths will cross again though."
2 comments:
Tag is a very serious racehorse. His only issue might be the combination of the way he breaks and his running style (on the lead). As long as he doesn't go all hell bent for the lead after he breaks towards the middle to back of the pack, he should be right in the Derby mix. One of mine finished a very nice third to Tag, two lengths back, in the Hollywood Futurity. He won't be on the Derby trail though.
Yes, you are spot on as usual DJ. His 73 gate speed is certainly not optimal for a front runner. Hopefully, his jockey can hold him back for the first few furlongs...
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