Tax bests Tacitus in the Jim Dandy (G2) July 27, 2019 at Saratoga (NYRA/Coglianese)
NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— Trainer Danny Gargan reported Sunday that multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire and fan favorite Tax has been retired from racing after a 19-start career that saw him win three graded stakes events and more than $1.1 million in earnings.
“We’ve decided to retire him because it was the right thing to do by the horse,” said Gargan. “He’s done enough. We just wanted him to win over the million-dollar mark, and he got well over that.”
Owned by Gargan and R.A. Hill Stable, Tax won the 2019 Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct Racetrack and finished second in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, awarding him enough points to start in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby where he finished 14th. He followed with a fourth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes before a win in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga Race Course.
During a three-start 4-year-old campaign, he posted a 4 1/2-length romp in Gulfstream Park’s Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday before his lone start of 2021 when off-the-board in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream. The dark bay gelding made a memorable comeback nearly 18 months later when earning the final victory of his career in Delaware Park’s Battery Park last July.
After a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Challenger in March at Tampa Bay Downs, Tax retired with a record of 19-5-5-1 and total purse earnings of $1,102,190.
Gargan said Tax has been sent to the farm of Dean Reeves, who co-owned Tax through 2021, and will be retrained with an eye to a pony career.
“He went to Dean Reeves’ farm and we’re probably going to break him to be the farm pony next year,” said Gargan. “Maybe he’ll come here to Saratoga next year and be our barn pony here.”
Tax retires as the all-time top earner for Gargan, who spoke fondly of the gelding’s accomplished career.
“He’s my favorite horse of all-time,” said Gargan. “He’s so pretty and so kind for such a big horse.”
