Barclay Tagg | Horse Racing Free Tips

Tiz The Law Continues To Reign On NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll

Having added a dominant victory in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes to his already accomplished resume, Tiz the Law's status as the top sophomore runner in the country was further reinforced Monday when the son of Constitution earned 39 first-place votes and 390 total points to remain the clear leader on the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Three-Year-Old Poll. Beginning with his seasonal debut victory in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes, Tiz the Law has won his four starts in 2020 by a combined 16 ½ lengths. After becoming the first New York-bred in 138 years to win the Belmont Stakes, Tiz the Law became just the third New York-bred Travers winner and first since Thunder Rumble in 1992 when he annexed the Mid-Summer Derby by 5 ½ lengths on August 8. Trained by Barclay Tagg for owner Sackatoga Stable, Tiz the Law will now point to the Kentucky Derby on September 5 at Churchill Downs and currently sits atop the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 372 qualifying points.

“He'll gallop every day,” Tagg told the NYRA publicity team. “He'll have about 10 days before we breeze him again. We'll probably only be able to get two breezes in him before we go out there. We'll go out there a week ahead of time.” Joining Tiz the Law in uncorking a statement-making performance this past weekend was Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector, who captured the Ellis Park Derby on August 9. That effort, combined with his win in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes on July 11, earned Art Collector 296 points to move him up to second in the poll. “Everything that we've wanted him to do, he's done,” trainer Tommy Drury said of Art Collector following his Ellis Park victory. “We're going into the race exactly the way we want to go into it.” Honor A. P., who finished second in the Shared Belief Stakes on August 1, drops one spot to third with 277 points with Grade 1 Haskell Stakes victor Authentic (264 points) in fourth. Top filly Gamine (204 points) moves up five spots to fifth in the wake of her handy victory in the Grade 1 Test Stakes on August 8 and she is followed in the rankings by her stablemate Thousand Words (162), who won the Shared Belief Stakes on August 1. Graded stakes-winner King Guillermo (103 points) is seventh while Haskell runner-up Ny Traffic (99) and Swiss Skydiver (78) rank eighth and ninth, respectively. Caracaro, second behind Tiz the Law in the Travers, joins the top 10 for the first time with 71 points. There was relatively little movement in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll as multiple Grade 1-winner Vekoma earned 13 first-place votes and 312 points to maintain the lead position for a second week. Fellow top-level winner Tom's d'Etat (3 first-place votes, 271 points) holds in second followed by Grade 1 Whitney Stakes-winner Improbable (5 first-place votes, 268 points) in third. Champion Maximum Security (5 first-place votes, 239 points) maintains the fourth spot with fellow Eclipse Award-winner Midnight Bisou (228 points) in fifth. Tiz the Law (12 first-place votes, 215 points) moved up two spots to sixth followed by champion Monomoy Girl with 1 first-place vote and 115 points. Zulu Alpha (113 points) ranks eighth while By My Standards (96) and Gamine (42) round out the top 10. The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in both the Top Three-Year-Old Poll and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through the conclusion of the Breeders' Cup in November.

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Tagg: Tiz The Law ‘Did Everything A Good Horse Ought To Do’

Sackatoga Stable's Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers winner Tiz the Law was bright eyed the morning after a 5 1/2-length victory in Saratoga Race Course's marquee race, where he registered a career-best 109 Beyer Speed Figure.

Just shortly after training concluded for the morning, trainer Barclay Tagg was at his barn on the backstretch of the Saratoga Springs, N.Y., track standing next to the garland of carnations that had been draped around the now four-time Grade 1 winner's neck on Saturday.

Tagg said his star 3-year-old colt was in good order.

“He looks fine,” Tagg said. “I was very pleased with the way he ran. He did everything a good horse ought to do and did it perfectly.”

Patiently guided by regular pilot Manny Franco, the son of Constitution was forwardly placed early as Uncle Chuck set a moderate pace up front, took charge nearing the quarter-pole and drew off in style. The scenario played out exactly the way Tagg envisioned it.

“I pictured the horse being at his best laying second or third in the two path just off the leader and I figured the leader would be [Bob] Baffert's horse [Uncle Chuck]. We discussed that and that's exactly what he did,” said Tagg.

Tagg praised Franco for being an ideal pilot aboard Tiz the Law.

“They work well together, they know each other and it's a good combination,” Tagg said.

After becoming the first New York-bred to win the Belmont Stakes in 138 years, Tiz the Law became the first horse bred in the Empire State to win the Travers since Thunder Rumble in 1992.

Tiz the Law will now point to the Grade 1, $3 million Kentucky Derby on September 5 at Churchill Downs, which Tagg won with Sackatoga's Funny Cide in 2003. Tiz the Law is atop the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 372 qualifying points.

Tiz the Law will see a quicker turnaround than what he's used to entering the “Run for the Roses” off four weeks' rest. Tagg said that the horse should have no problems with the timing.

“There's nothing I can do about it, but I don't think it will faze him at all,” Tagg said.

Unbeaten in four starts this year, Tiz the Law won the Grade 3 Holy Bull and Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park en route to a win in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes before taking the Runhappy Travers.

Following a career debut win at the Spa against New York-breds last August, exactly one year prior to his Runhappy Travers win, Tiz the Law won the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park. His only loss in a seven-race career came when finishing a close third in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs over a sloppy track.

“He seems to terrorize the competition when he makes his move,” Tagg said. “Every race I've seen, even the first one, has been great. He came off that turn, and I thought 'They're going to run by him like he's standing still' and then I look again and he's three in front. It was the same way yesterday. I thought, 'Get into him, Manny' and he just kept running, running, running.”

Tagg credits much of the success with Tiz the Law to how hands-on and detail-oriented his team is with the horse, including barn foreman Juan Barajas Saldana and assistant trainer Robin Smullen.

“That's our job to make things go smoothly,” Tagg said. “We've been fortunate with him. We've been hands-on every step of the way. He doesn't go out of the stall without Juan, he doesn't go out to the track without Juan. Robin rides him and I lead him and warm him up and then I pick him up when he pulls up and we bring him back to Juan and Juan brings him back to the barn. It might be boring for the horse, but it's pretty safe.”

Tagg said that Tiz the Law will likely have two breezes prior to the Kentucky Derby.

“He'll gallop every day,” Tagg said. “He'll have about 10 days before we breeze him again. We'll probably only be able to get two breezes in him before we go out there. We'll go out there a week ahead of time.”

Tagg praised Sackatoga Stables founder and operations manager Jack Knowlton for being a patient owner and a great partner over the years.

“Jack is the greatest. If every owner could be like Jack, it would be a great life,” Tagg said.

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Tiz the Law in Good Order After Travers Romp, On to Derby

Sackatoga Stable’s GI Runhappy Travers S. winner Tiz the Law (Constitution) was bright-eyed the morning after his dominant 5 1/2-length victory in Saratoga’s marquee race, for which he received a career-best 109 Beyer Speed Figure. Shortly after training concluded for the morning, trainer Barclay Tagg was at his barn on the Saratoga backstretch standing next to the garland of carnations that had been draped around the now four-time Grade I winner’s neck Saturday. Tagg said his star 3-year-old colt was in good order.

“He looks fine,” Tagg told the NYRA notes team. “I was very pleased with the way he ran. He did everything a good horse ought to do and did it perfectly.”

After becoming the first New York-bred to win the GI Belmont S. in 138 years, Tiz the Law became the first horse bred in the Empire State to win the Travers since Thunder Rumble in 1992. Tiz the Law will now point to the GI Kentucky Derby Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs, which Tagg won with Sackatoga’s Funny Cide in 2003.

“He seems to terrorize the competition when he makes his move,” Tagg said. “Every race I’ve seen, even the first one, has been great. He came off that turn, and I thought, ‘They’re going to run by him like he’s standing still’ and then I look again and he’s three in front. It was the same way yesterday. I thought, ‘Get into him, Manny’ and he just kept running, running, running.”

Tiz the Law will likely have two breezes prior to the Derby, according to Tagg.

“He’ll gallop every day,” Tagg said. “He’ll have about 10 days before we breeze him again. We’ll probably only be able to get two breezes in him before we go out there. We’ll go out there a week ahead of time.”

Travers runner-up Caracaro (Uncle Mo) is likely Derby bound, reported trainer Gustavo Delgado. The lightly-raced colt would be making just his fifth career start in Louisville.

“He came back very good. He’s happy, he ate his food, he’s relaxed. Right now, he’s sleeping. Everything’s good,” Delgado said. “We’ll check with the vet and talk with the owners and my son and decide. As long as there’s no problems, we’ll go to the Derby. Yesterday was a big race, a strong race. I consider Tiz the Law the best horse in the country.”

Third finisher Max Player (Honor Code), who also ran third in the Belmont, has enough qualifying points to be trainer Linda Rice’s first Derby starter, but Rice said she would wait a bit to make a decision on the race.

“He came out of it really well,” Rice said. “He’s a little tired, but otherwise, he’s in good shape. He’s continued to improve and taken baby steps forward. So, we were pleased with that. He’s been pretty consistent and has been moving forward with gentle progress. We’re happy with that. We’re certainly going to keep [the Derby] option open. We’ll give it a few days and I’ll discuss it further with George and Joe De Perio [president of co-owner SportBLX Thoroughbreds] and talk about that later in the week.”

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Tiz The Law Solidifies Kentucky Derby Favoritism With Overpowering Victory In Runhappy Travers Stakes

If there were any doubts about Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law's ability to get a mile and a quarter, they were erased in the two minutes and 95 hundredths of a second it took for the 3-year-old New York-bred son of Constitution to travel that distance and demolish his rivals in the $1-million, Grade 1 Runhappy Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Under superb handling by Manny Franco, Tiz the Law sat in third behind pacesetter Uncle Chuck, moved to the lead on the turn for home, opened up a commanding lead and then was wrapped up in the final sixteenth of a mile to win by open lengths.

Caracaro finished second, with Max Player third and South Bend fourth in the field of seven 3-year-olds. First Line was scratched.

The 1-2 favorite, Tiz the Law paid $3 for the win, his sixth in seven career starts. He will head to Louisville, Ky., where he will be a heavy favorite for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. It was at Churchill Downs last Nov. 30 where Tiz the Law suffered his only career defeat when third, beaten three-quarters of a length, in the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes on a sloppy track.

Tiz the Law, out of the Tiznow mare, Tizfiz, was bred by Twin Creeks and sold for $110,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred sale at Saratoga in 2018.

Uncle Chuck, the undefeated Uncle Mo colt who trainer Bob Baffert compared to 2016 Travers winner Arrogate, broke smoothly and set the fractions: :23.65 for the opening quarter mile, :48.36 for the half and 1:11.95 for six furlongs.

When they reached the quarter pole, the mile in 1:36.42, Luis Saez was asking Uncle Chuck for his best and not finding. Tiz the Law and Franco hit the top and drew off for the win.

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