Kentucky Derby Pedigree Profile: Tax

R. A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Hugh Lynch and Corms Racing Stable’s Tax picked up his first graded stakes win and 10 points on The Road to the Kentucky Derby with a victory in the Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct on Saturday. The former claimer now sits in the eighth slot with overall 12 points for conditioner Danny Gargan.

Tax was bred in the Bluegrass State by Claiborne Farm and Adele B. Dilschneider. It is possible that you will not find a better catalog page on The Road to the Kentucky Derby this season than that of Tax.

He is by the late, Grade-1 winning Arch, who is from a sensational family of runners and producers. Arch is out of the stakes-winning Danzig mare Aurora and has a trio of black-type winning siblings, including 2010 Spinster Stakes (G1) queen Acoma and 2001 Godolphin Mile (G3) victor Festival of Light.

The third dam of Arch is none other than Courtly Dee, the 1983 Broodmare of the Year. Courtly Dee wasn’t much on the track, though her influence as a broodmare has left an indelible mark on the breed. Her first foal, Ali Oop, won the 1976 Sapling S. (G1), and in 1983 her daughter Althea was the champion two-year-old Filly.

In total, Courtly Dee produced 18 foals in her illustrious broodmare career with nine of those being stakes winners. And, amazingly, 10 of the 11 fillies that she was responsible for became stakes producers themselves.

Arch is a proven and versatile sire who is able to produce a ‘big horse’. His son, champion Blame, capped his fine career with a score in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs over Zenyatta.

Tax is out of the winning Giant’s Causeway mare Toll, who is a half-sister to stakes heroine Cheery, the dam of dual Grade 1 princess Elate. Giant’s Causeway is rising up the charts as a top broodmare sire both in the U. S. and abroad. His fillies have produced more than 100 stakes winners to date, topped by sensational Horse of the Year Gun Runner.

His second dam is Grade 2 winner Yell, who finished third in the 2003 Kentucky Oaks (G1). Yell is one of four standouts out of the brilliant Wild Applause, joined by graded winners and sires Eastern Echo, Blare of Trumpets and Roar. Another descendant of Wild Applause, Congrats, is the sire of Holy Bull (G2) winner Harvey Wallbanger.

The fourth dam of Tax is 1993 Broodmare of the Year Glowing Tribute, who produced six stakes winners including 1993 Kentucky Derby (G1) star Sea Hero. Glowing Tribute was one of the foundation mares for the storied Rokeby Stables.

Tax has been up to the task in a pair of graded races at 1 1/8 miles at this early juncture of his development. His BRIS Speed figures of 102 and 103 currently stand up well with his counterparts. In addition, he has also proven to be able to overcome adversity when racing in a bit of traffic in the Withers.

With a pedigree that can’t be doubted, a fine foundation and further room for improvement, Tax has to be taken seriously on the Triple Crown trail in 2019.

Tax photo (c) NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography/Joe Labozzetta