October, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Tiz the Law Preps for BC Classic

MGISW Tiz the Law (Constitution) breezed six furlongs in 1:12.26 (1/1) over the Belmont main track Friday morning in preparation for the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland Nov. 7. The Empire-bred will be vanned to Kentucky Sunday to continue his preparations for the World Championships.

Under exercise rider Heather Smullen, Tiz the Law went in company with stablemate Niko’s Dream (Central Banker) (five furlongs in 1:01.05) before drawing away at the top of the lane. He recorded splits of :13.07, :24.84, :36.43, and :47.63 before galloping out seven furlongs in 1:25.46 and one mile in 1:40.05.

“He just goes out there and does his job,” Smullen said. “He was on the bridle, breaking off of her [Niko’s Dream] and then he decided ‘Well, it’s time to finish up’ and he just went on away from her. He does everything you expect a good horse to do.”

“We wanted him to settle next to [Niko’s Dream], which he did,” said trainer Barclay Tagg’s assistant and longtime partner Robin Smullen said. “They went the first three-eighths in 36 and 4. He galloped out seven-eighths in 1:25. He pulled up great, cooled out well.”

A decisive winner of the GI Belmont S. June 20, Tiz the Law was ultra-impressive when capturing the GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 8 and was second in the GI Kentucky Derby Sept. 5. Connections chose to skip the GI Preakness S. Oct. 3 and train up to the Classic.

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Classic Plans: Tiz The Law Will Have Two Works At Keeneland Ahead Of Breeders’ Cup

Sackatoga Stable's New York-bred Tiz the Law recorded his final breeze over the Belmont Park main track on Friday in preparation for the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 7 at Keeneland Race Course. He registered six furlongs in 1:12.26 over a fast track.

Tiz the Law, who will ship to Keeneland by van on Sunday to continue his Breeders' Cup preparations, stepped foot onto the track just after 6:30 a.m. under overcast skies and a sliver of daylight, accompanied by stablemate and three-time winning filly Niko's Dream [five furlongs in 1:01.05] with trainer Barclay Tagg looking on from his pony.

Under exercise rider Heather Smullen, Tiz the Law went in company with Niko's Dream before drawing away at the top of the lane. He recorded splits of 13.07, 24.84, 36.43, and 47.63 before galloping out seven furlongs in 1:25.46 and one mile in 1:40.05.

“He just goes out there and does his job,” Smullen said. “He was on the bridle, breaking off of her [Niko's Dream] and then he decided 'Well, it's time to finish up' and he just went on away from her. He does everything you expect a good horse to do.”

Tagg's partner and longtime assistant, Robin Smullen, said she was very happy with the work.

“We wanted him to settle next to [Niko's Dream], which he did,” Smullen said. “They went the first three-eighths in 36 and 4. He galloped out seven-eighths in 1:25. He pulled up great, cooled out well.”

The move was the four-time Grade 1 winner's fourth work since finishing second in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby last month, where he finished three-quarters of a length to Authentic. He scored in his prior four starts this season in dominant fashion beginning with the Grade 3 Holy Bull and Grade 1 Florida Derby, both at Gulfstream Park. Tiz the Law then posted a sensational 3 ¾-length victory in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes on June 20, where he became the first state bred to win the American Classic in 138 years, and followed with a triumph by 5 ½ lengths in Grade 1 Runhappy Travers on August 8 at Saratoga.

With three weeks out from the Breeders' Cup Classic, Tiz the Law will complete his final serious preparation for the classic-distance event at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, where this year's event is scheduled to be held from November 6-7.

Smullen said Tiz the Law tends to run better when he has time to get acclimated to new surroundings.

“He seems like he's at his best when he does,” Smullen said. “His best race was at Saratoga and we were there for a few weeks before we actually ran in the Travers, and that was his best race by far. In Florida, he had to ship down to Gulfstream [from Palm Meadows Training Center] and we breezed him there. His first race was good, but the Florida Derby was better.

“His second race going over the track was better,” she added. “We didn't take him back down to breeze him. We kept him at Palm Meadows. Looking at it from that standpoint this far out from what we know now, his best races are when he has a couple of works over the track. We discussed that and decided the best we could possibly do for him is give him two works over that track.”

Smullen praised Tiz the Law for his intelligence and being able to place himself right where he needs to be, building a rapport with jockey Manny Franco.

“If you watch his replay in the Belmont, Manny is just sitting there and leaves him alone. If he breaks and he's good, he'll place himself,” Smullen said. “He's not grabbing, he's not rank, he's going to place himself where he's comfortable and Manny is smart enough to see what's going on. If it's real slow and Tiz automatically moves up, you're not going to say 'Hey, I don't want you to move,' you're going to sit there because Tiz is just going to be running his race.

“From a jockey's standpoint, he's got to be one of the easiest horses to ride,” Smullen continued. He always puts you where you need to be. We'll just have to see what our post is and take it from there, but I think he's tactical enough where he can do whatever he wants to do.”

A $110,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Yearling Sale, the Constitution bay has amassed $2,615,300 in purse earnings. Bred in the Empire State by Twin Creeks Farm, Tiz the Law is out of the graded stakes winning Tiznow mare Tizfiz.

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One More Race for the Partners in a `Horse of a Lifetime’

After Uni (GB) (More Than Ready)’s five-year-old campaign which concluded in the Champion Turf Female award, bloodstock advisors suggested to the partners in her ownership group that it might be time to retire and sell her. After all, the owners had probably already gotten more than they had bargained for: they had campaigned her at 3, 4, and 5, and watched her win three Grade I stakes as well as Grade II, Grade III and Listed events.

But, “Sol and I are and Bobby are racing guys,” said Michael Dubb of the decision made by him and partners Sol Kumin and Bob LaPenta to bring her back for one more year. “We want to race and she’s six years old now. Typically these broodmares are retired at five. And against the advice of bloodstock agents, we went ahead and raced her at six years old because we had so much fun winning the Breeders’ Cup once with her, and so we said, “Why not try to do it again?” So she will be pointing to the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland–the mile race against the boys.”

The decision to keep her in training for one more year has already proven to be a sound one, as Uni picked up her fourth Grade I win in Keeneland’s First Lady last out, had another Grade I placing earlier in the year, and has earned almost a quarter-million dollars in 2020. She’ll head into the Breeders’ Cup Mile as one of the top choices before selling at Fasig-Tipton November as Hip 228 for Elite Sales.

For Dubb, there’s another reason to keep her around for this year’s Breeders’ Cup: he was unable to see her 2019 win in person, and instead watched it on his iPhone standing on 10^th Street in Manhattan.

“I could not be there last year because it was my daughter’s engagement party in New York City,” said Dubb. “I had to walk out of the restaurant and watch the race on my iPhone leaning on the hood of somebody’s car. And fortunately, my son walked out to see what his crazy dad was doing and to see the bedlam that was ensuing on 10th Street when the horse crossed the wire and made that tremendous come-from-behind run. So that was truly the greatest moment, but there have been so many with Uni.”

Uni was bred by Nicolas de Chambure’s Haras d’Etreham, and Dubb and Kumin bought into her early in her three-year-old year on the recommendation of Nicolas de Watrigant and Bradley Weisbord. She remained in France for her two races for the new ownership group, winning the Prix Matchem at Maisons-Laffitte against colts. Transferred to Chad Brown’s barn at Belmont in June, 2017, she was third first out in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational. The new owners bought out de Chambure, added Bob LaPenta to their group, and were off to the races.

Since that time, Uni has been consistently brilliant, winning four Grade Is, turning in a perfect four-for-four year in 2018, and was three-for-four in 2019 with a Breeders’ Cup win. Overall, she has won 10 of 17 starts and earned over $2.5 million.

Her win in the Breeders’ Cup Mile against males puts her in a rarefied air, as she joined some of the great race fillies and mares of all time in the feat, including Miesque, Goldikova and Tepin, becoming just the seventh filly or mare to win the race.

Her consistency and durability have been defining qualities, with her owners enjoying successful three, four, five and six-year-old seasons with her.

“We’ve watched and enjoyed Uni over an extended period of time,” said Fasig-Tipton CEO Boyd Browning. “She has maintained her form at the Grade I level for four seasons now. It was really interesting and really cool to see the performance that she put on recently in the First Lady, coming back and winning another Grade I in 2020 against an outstanding field. She’s been durable, she’s been consistent, but she’s also been brilliant. Those are certainly some of the characteristics that everyone’s looking for from a broodmare prospect with the potential that she would have on a long-term basis.”

Moreover, said Browning, she offers a rather unique pedigree.

“One of the things that’s really intriguing about Uni is her pedigree,” he said. “Not only is she by More Than Ready, who’s certainly become a sire who has had worldwide great success, both in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, but she’s out of a Dansili (GB) mare whose dam is by Generous. I think that you’ve got a really unique opportunity to kind of craft and create your own vision to utilize those bloodlines.

“It’s a great outcross pedigree, and it’s a family full of significant runners for many, many, many generations. But you’ve really got an opportunity to kind of put your fingerprint on it, and create a legacy that should hopefully endure for generations to come.”

For Dubb and his partners, though, enjoying her for these past four seasons has been the ride of a lifetime.

“Looking forward, we hope she can be a two-time winner against the boys of the Breeders’ Cup Mile,” he said. “And I will be at the Breeders’ Cup with my binoculars in my hands, cheering and clapping. But whether she does it or not, she has given us indescribable pleasure and joy.

“If you’re in the game as long as I am,” Dubb said, “this kind of horse sticks out. She’s really special. She’s the horse of a lifetime.”

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Weekend Lineup Presented By Del Mar Ship & Win: Woodbine In The Spotlight

Woodbine grabs the spotlight this weekend as the Ontario track hosts two Grade 1 contests over its renowned turf course in the E.P. Taylor and the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes on Sunday. Belmont Park also has a pair of graded stakes on tap for Sunday that will be televised on “America's Day at the Races” on FS2.

“American's Day at the Races” will also have a special Saturday morning broadcast on FS2 that will showcase British Champions Day from Ascot Racecourse in England. Saturday's broadcast will air on FS2 from 8:30-11a.m. ET and feature four classic Group 1 turf races, headlined by the £750,000 QIPCO Champion Stakes and the £650,000 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, sponsored by QIPCO. Post time for the Group 1 QIPCO Champion Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 10 furlongs will be 10:40 a.m. with the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes set for 10:05 a.m.

Racing at Keeneland, Santa Anita, and other tracks will be featured on TVG as part of its coast-to-coast coverage. International racing will also continue on Saturday on TVG with the prestigious Champions Day with coverage beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET. The star-studded day of racing will include six events including the Long Distance Gold Cup, which will feature Stradivarius (IRE) making his fourth appearance in the race.

Friday, Oct. 16

5:30 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 3 Valley View Stakes Keeneland on TVG

Godolphin's Antoinette, winner of the Saratoga Oaks Invitational and recently runner-up in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational, tops the field for the 30th running of Valley View, run at 1 1/16 miles on the Keeneland turf course. Trained by Bill Mott, the homebred daughter of Hard Spun will be ridden Friday by Manny Franco and break from post position 12. Headlining the competition to Antoinette is Walk In Marrakesh (IRE), who came within a nostril of winning the Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes in July.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE101620USA9-EQB.html

Saturday, Oct. 17

5:30 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland on TVG

Grade 2 winner Venetian Harbor headlines a deep field of 10 3-year-old fillies for the 22nd running of the Raven Run, contested at seven furlongs. Trained by Richard Baltas, Venetian Harbor will be making her first start since finishing second to Gamine in the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 8. Prior to that, she had finished second to Speech in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes here and to Swiss Skydiver in the Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park with both those races being two-turn tests going 1 1/16 miles.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE101720USA9-EQB.html

8:15 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

A four-time stakes winner in search of her first graded victory, California-bred Warren's Showtime heads a field of seven sophomore fillies going one mile on turf in the Autumn Miss Stakes. Owned by Ben and Sally Warren and bred by Ben Warren, Warren's Showtime was most recently a close third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks and is the leading money earner in the field with $460,251.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA101720USA9-EQB.html

Sunday, Oct. 18

1:28 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 2 Knickerbocker Stakes at Belmont Park on FS2

After running second in last year's edition, the Chad Brown-trained Olympico (FR) will get another chance to earn a trip to the winner's circle when he competes as part of a five-horse field in the Knickerbocker for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf. The Knickerbocker was originally scheduled for the Oct. 12 holiday card but was moved to due to inclement weather. That provided Olympico with a few days of extra rest as he makes his first appearance since running fifth in the 1 1/16-mile Lure on September 7 at Saratoga Race Course.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL101820USA3-EQB.html

3:29 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes at Woodbine on TVG

Trainer Gail Cox will look to net the stakes double with Count Again in the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes. The lightly raced five-year-old son of Awesome Again has been impressive over his six lifetime outings. On Sept. 19, the bay gelding, despite being heavily steadied into the far turn, drove to the front outside of the eighth-pole and secured a 1 ¼ length win in the Grade 3 Singspiel Stakes. It was the first stakes engagement for Count Again, who Cox is counting on once again to come up big on the Woodbine grass.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO101820CAN5-EQB.html

4:37 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine on TVG

Trainer Gail Cox has a trio of talented turfers taking up the Sam-Son Farm charge, namely, Rideforthecause in the E.P. Taylor, as well as Count Again and Say the Word in the Northern Dancer. A four-year-old daughter of Candy Ride (ARG), Rideforthecause rolls into the E.P. Taylor off two straight scores, both of them contested at Woodbine. After an allowance victory at 1 1/16 miles on the Toronto oval Inner Turf on Aug. 1, the bay was back in the winner's circle on Sept. 12, winning the Canadian Stakes presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2) at the distance of about 1 1/8 miles on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO101820CAN7-EQB.html

4:47 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 2 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park on FS2

West Point Thoroughbreds, William Sandbrook, William Freeman and Cheryl Manning's Decorated Invader will see a cutback in distance when competing against fellow sophomores in the 46th running of the Hill Prince going one mile over the Widener turf. Trained by Christophe Clement, Decorated Invader arrives off a fifth-place finish in the Saratoga Derby on Aug. 15. The Saratoga Derby was the first loss of the year for Decorated Invader, who captured the Cutler Bay on March 28 at Gulfstream Park in his 2020 bow before winning the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge on June 20 at Belmont Park and the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame on July 18 at Saratoga.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL101820USA9-EQB.html

4:57 p.m.—$125,000 Grade 3 Dowager Stakes at Keeneland on TVG

Calumet Farm's Siberian Iris (IRE), second against the boys this summer in the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita, tops a field of six fillies and mares in the 1 ½-miles Dowager. Trained by Richard Mandella, Siberian Iris stayed at Keeneland following a fifth-place finish in the TVG Stakes at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 15.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE101820USA8-EQB.html

5:45 p.m.—$250,000 Grade 2 Nearctic Stakes at Woodbine on TVG

A field of nine headed up by multiple graded stakes winner Silent Poet are set to contest the Nearctic going six furlongs on the turf. Silent Poet has won three of his last four starts and enters off of an allowance win at Woodbine on Sept. 27. Among the top challengers are defending Nearctic winner City Boy.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO101820CAN9-EQB.html

8 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Cannon Thoroughbreds homebred Smooth Like Strait returns to Southern California and will try to stretch his speed to 1 1/8-miles on turf as he heads a field of nine sophomores in the Twilight Derby. A resounding 2 ½ length winner of the Grade 2 La Jolla Handicap two starts back, Smooth Like Strait, who is trained by Michael McCarthy, finished fourth as the 6-5 favorite in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs on Sept. 5 and will likely vie for favoritism with midwestern invader Field Pass.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA101820USA9-EQB.html

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