Tacitus may be named for a Roman historian that one encyclopedia calls “the greatest prose stylists who ever wrote in the Latin language,” but it took more grit and guts than elegance to win the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Breaking from post 2 under José Ortiz, Tacitus was one of many horses involved in a scrum initiated by #11, Joevia, heading into the first turn of the nine-furlong race. Knocked sideways, Ortiz deftly kept his horse in the race, despite ricocheting into horses on both sides before steadying.

The 5-2 favorite took position along the rail in fourth while longshots Joevia and Not That Brady duked it out early, Tax trailing them by nearly a dozen lengths; heading around the final turn, as those two faded, Tacitus and Tax took their places, running neck-and-neck at the eighth pole, with Tacitus pulling away to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

Continue reading at Brisnet…

Tacitus and José Ortiz. NYRA/Chelsea Durand photo