Each day of Kentucky Derby week, we'll take a look at the pedigrees of the Kentucky Derby contenders and how those pedigrees might factor into their ability to succeed at a mile and a quarter.
Tiz the Law
Constitution x Tizfiz, by Tiznow
Tiz the Law is the easiest horse in the field to gauge at the classic distance, given his dominating 5 ½-length romp at a mile and a quarter in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes. Looking at his pedigree though, there are several factors proving he wasn't outrunning his bloodlines.
The colt is from the first crop of fast-rising sire Constitution, who won the G1 Florida Derby and Donn Handicap, both at a mile and an eighth. Constitution is a son of Tapit, who is one of North America's most proven sire of two-turn runners, including three Belmont Stakes winners.
The average distance of a race won by a Constitution runner (Average Winning Distance) is 6.92 furlongs, which is the bottom half among the sires of the Derby field, though Tiz the Law's previous Grade 1 triumph at a mile and a quarter dispels any concerns with this individual.
Beyond Tiz the Law, Constitution's best runners have tended to be milers, with Laura's Light taking the G2 San Clemente Stakes and Independence Hall taking the Jerome Stakes at the distance. However, Laura's Light also took the G3 Honeymoon Stakes at a 1 1/8 miles and Gouverneur Morris finished second in the G1 Arkansas Derby, both at 1 1/8 miles. Tiz the Law is Constitution's first graded stakes winner beyond a mile and an eighth, though that's not a major concern, given the early stage of the sire's career.
Tiz the Law is out of the Tiznow mare Tizfiz, who won the G2 San Gorgorino Handicap over the turf at 1 1/8 miles. The turf specialist also won non-graded stakes at distances between a 1 mile and 1 1/8 miles
Tizfiz is also the dam of Awestruck, a multiple stakes-placed daughter of Tapit who won from six furlongs to a mile on the dirt. She earned stakes-placings going as far as a 1 1/16 miles. Tizn'tshebeautiful, by Uncle Mo, was a maiden winner going 1 mile and 70 yards at Finger Lakes.
Authentic
Into Mischief x Flawless, by Mr. Greeley
Into Mischief was North America's leading general sire by earnings in 2019, and has established himself as one of the continent's top commercial sires.
He remains a force in 2020 with a slate of runners that includes multiple Grade 1 winner Gamine, who has won at the highest level at seven furlongs and a mile. He is also the sire of two-time Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Goldencents, as well as Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Covfeve, who was named last year's champion female sprinter and champion 3-year-old filly. The stallion's average progeny winning distance is 6.75 furlongs, which is near the bottom of this year's class of Derby sires.
Into Mischief's most notable Derby starter to date is Audible, who finished third in the 2018 renewal, coming in off a victory in the G1 Florida Derby at 1 1/8 miles.
On his own accord, Into Mischief won the G1 CashCall Futurity going a mile and a sixteenth over a synthetic track. Never worse than second in six career starts, Into Mischief also won the listed Damascus Stakes at 7 furlongs over an all-weather surface.
Flawless, a daughter of Mr. Greeley, won on debut at 7 furlongs over the main track at Belmont Park, then finished second finished second at the same track going a mile to finish her racing career.
Authentic is by far the most successful runner out of Flawless, with the next closest by earnings being Expectations, a Speightstown gelding who won claiming races from seven furlongs to a mile. Gitgo, by Bodemeister, was a maiden claiming winner at 5 ½ furlongs before being exported to Panama, where he has complied a lifetime record of six wins from 44 starts.
Honor A. P.
Honor Code x Hollywood Story, by Wild Rush
Honor Code has strong credentials around two turns, winning the 1 1/8-mile G2 Remsen Stakes at age two, then earning champion older male honors at four with a campaign including a score in the G1 Whitney Stakes, also at 1 ½ miles. Honor Code's championship season also included wins at a mile in the G1 Metropolitan Handicap and G1 Gulfstream Park Handicap. He is a son of A.P. Indy, who is one of the modern breed's bedrocks for distance runners.
Honor Code's runners post an average winning distance of 7.29 furlongs, which is a strong number for a sire with his first crop of 3-year-olds. He'll have two colts pointing toward this year's Kentucky Derby, with Honor A. P. having won the G1 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles and Max Player winning the G3 Withers Stakes at the same distance. Max Player is also placed at the Derby distance, having run third in the G1 Travers Stakes in August.
Hollywood Story ran in nothing but graded stakes races after her debut effort. She won the G1 Hollywood Starlet Stakes as a juvenile at 1 1/16 miles, and she took the G1 Vanity Invitational Handicap over 1 1/8 miles later in her career. Her other two graded wins came at 1 1/16 miles.
A veteran broodmare with five runners sporting six-figure earnings, Hollywood Story is also the dam of Horrayforhollywood, by Storm Cat, who was a winner and stakes-placed at a mile. Hollywood Star, a son of Malibu Moon, finished a narrow second in the G3 Iroquois Stakes over 1 1/16 miles, while his full-sister Miss Hollywood is a stakes winner at 7 furlongs.
Removing Tiz the Law's victory in the Travers from consideration, no other horse in this field is better-qualified to excel at the classic distance in terms of pedigree than Honor A. P., both by high-level output and two-turn performance.
Ny Traffic
Cross Traffic x Mamie Reilly, by Graeme Hall
Cross Traffic was proficient at a route distance, highlighted by a win in the G1 Whitney Invitational Handicap at 1 1/8 miles. He also finished second in the G1 Metropolitan Handicap and G3 Westchester Stakes, both at 1 mile.
He was the leading freshman sire of 2018, spearheaded by Eclipse Award winner Jaywalk, who took the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at 1 1/16 miles. His average progeny winning distance is 6.86 furlongs, putting him on the lower end of this year's Derby sires. However, Cross Traffic has been represented well at a mile and a quarter by Capocostello, who won Panama's G1 Clásico Año Nuevo at the distance.
Ny Traffic would be Cross Traffic's first Kentucky Derby starter.
Mamie Reilly raced twice, graduating on her second try in a 6 furlong maiden claiming race at Belmont Park. Ny Traffic is her first foal.
Ny Traffic's extended family is heavy on South American influence, led by third dam Quilma, who won the Chilean 1,000 Guineas before being imported to the U.S., where she became a Grade 2 winner.
The post Kentucky Derby Pedigree Corner: Tiz the Law, Authentic, Honor A. P., And Ny Traffic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
