It took a long time but Rose Petal Stable’s multiple stakes winner Copper tax comes with a steady run down the middle of the track to overtake stubborn pacers Quicks and crossed three-quarters of a length in the $125,000 Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park April 20.
Tesio’s 43rd running of the 1 1/8-mile headlined an 11-race program with five stakes worth $550,000 on the second of consecutive Saturdays in the Spring Stakes Spectacular, including three starters first of the season on Laurel’s world-class turf course.
Named after the famous Italian breeder, owner and trainer whose Nearco and Ribot thoroughbreds dominate thoroughbreds worldwide, Tesio for the ninth consecutive year serves as the ring ‘Win and In’ category for 3-year-olds nominated for Triple Crown to 149th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 18 at historic tournament Pimlico Racetrack.
As one of eight Tesio horses nominated for the Triple Crown, Copper Tax earned an automatic spot in the Preakness. Winning trainer Gary Capuano previously finished third in the Preakness with Captain Bodgit in 1997 and eighth with 2003 Tesio winner Cherokee’s Boy.
A total of 23 Tesio winners have gone on to participate in the Preakness, the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, including last year’s winner, Shows , coached by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey. Maryland-bred Deputed Testamony, in 1983, was the only horse to sweep both races.
Happy saving won Tesio in 2020 for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher as a prelude to his next win over older horses in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1), while also being runner-up The ruler on ice (2011) et Qb Monday morning (2020) won the Belmont Stakes (G1) and Maryland Million Classic, respectively.
Capuano said of the Preakness: “I don’t know. It’s a long shot, but we’ll see. We’ll see how he comes out. He’s not a big horse. We’ll show that decision in a week or two”. . “He always shows talent.”
Speedyness won the one-mile Miracle Wood Stakes on February 24 at Laurel with leading pace and led again in the 1 1/16-mile Private Clauses Race on March 23, which his two-run debut, before being caught late by Copper Tax And obscured . Jaime Rodriguez once again gave Speedyness the lead from their rails, covering the quarter mile in :24.07 and a half in :47.21 by just long shots Malinois dog breed And Classic joke within.
Meanwhile, Copper Tax wavered slightly exiting the outermost 10 furlongs and settled well behind before falling into contention behind Inveigled’s move as six furlongs went 1:11.9. Speedyness continued to move forward and covered the mile in a time of 1:38.55, fending off the relentless Copper Tax.
“Coming out of the gate made us a little nervous for a moment, but he came back and held his ground and little by little he got more motivated, which was great,” said Chris Loso of Rose Petal. great”. “And as always, he finished with a bang.”
The pace was a decisive second, 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Inveigled, who took the lead to the finish late. Carolo Rapido with one head.
“I was watching (Speedyness) lead and there was no one with him, so that was not good,” Capuano said. But he continued to maintain that run.”
Copper Tax now has seven wins in 10 starts, four of them stakes, three coming from Laurel—the 2023 James F. Lewis III Stakes, this year’s Private Provisions and Tesio.
Videotapes: Federico Tesio S. (BT)
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
