Constitution | Horse Racing Free Tips

Tiz The Law Beats The Rain, Has Final Kentucky Derby Breeze

For his final piece of serious preparation for the Grade 1, $3 million Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5, Sackatoga Stable's New York-bred Tiz the Law went five furlongs in 59.21 seconds over the Saratoga Race Course main track on Saturday in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trainer Barclay Tagg scheduled the work to avoid the anticipated rain showers, so the four-time Grade 1 winner was among the first horses to step foot onto the track at 5:45 a.m., just fifteen minutes before precipitation made its way to the Capital Region.

Piloted by exercise rider Heather Smullen, the son of second-crop sire Constitution went his first three-eighths in 36.01 before galloping out in 1:12.01 on the fast main track, which was raked and harrowed.

“Everything went fine. He came back well,” Tagg said. “He did everything he was supposed to do. I'm satisfied with this work. We had to make the decision this morning to work him. We made the decision around 4:00. Luckily, it wasn't raining when he was working. It's supposed to rain all day, and the track may be worse tomorrow. I'm glad we got the work in.”

Tiz the Law, who is atop the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 372 qualifying points, will be the likely favorite of the “Run for the Roses,” arriving at the prestigious event off a runaway triumph in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers on August 8. Unbeaten in four starts this season, he won the Grade 3 Holy Bull and Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park before becoming the first New York-bred in over a century to win the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes on June 20.

Tiz the Law following Saturday's breeze at Saratoga

A win in the Kentucky Derby would be a second victory in the American Classic for both Tagg and Sackatoga Stable, who teamed up to win the 2003 Kentucky Derby with Funny Cide, who became the first and so far only New York-bred to win the prestigious event.

Tiz the Law is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on Monday. Manny Franco will have the call in the Kentucky Derby.

Bred in New York by Twin Creeks Farm, Tiz the Law is out of the graded stakes winning Tiznow mare Tizfiz and was hammed down to $110,000 when being purchased at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Yearling Sale of New York-breds.

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Tiz the Law Tops Derby/Oaks Contenders Putting in Final Works

Likely GI Kentucky Derby favorite Tiz the Law (Constitution) topped a list of sophomores putting in their final breezes ahead of the Run for the Roses/Lilies Saturday, covering five panels in :59.21 (1/3) on the Saratoga main track.

The native New Yorker was one of the first on the track at

5:45 a.m. in an attempt to beat the incoming rainstorm. With regular breeze rider Heather Smullen in the irons, the flashy bay covered his first three furlongs in :36.01 and galloped out in 1:12.01.

“Everything went fine. He came back well,” trainer Barclay Tagg said. “He did everything he was supposed to do. I’m satisfied with this work. We had to make the decision this morning to work him. We made the decision around 4:00. Luckily, it wasn’t raining when he was working. It’s supposed to rain all day, and the track may be worse tomorrow. I’m glad we got the work in.”

Tiz the Law is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs Monday and regular rider Manny Franco will join him Louisville.

California Contingent Put in Final Preparations

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert sent out Derby contender Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) and Oaks runner Gamine (Into Mischief) for their final breezes at Del Mar Saturday.

‘TDN Rising Star’ Gamine covered six furlongs in 1:11.60 (1/5) with Juan Ochoa in the irons. The $1.8-million EASMAY topper was clocked in splits of :24.40, :36.60 and :59.40, working in company with SW Quality Response (Quality Road), who was given a half-mile in :48 flat. A dazzling winner of both the GI Acorn S. and GI Test S., Gamine is expected to be one of the top choices in the Oaks.

“She worked beautifully,” Baffert said. “She’s coming into the race very well and I’m very happy with her right now. It’s going to be a tough race, very competitive, but we’re excited and she looks ready for it.”

MGSW Thousand Words, victor of the Shared Belief S. last out, went five furlongs in :59.80 (2/53), going in splits of :11.80 and :36 flat and galloping out six panels in 1:11.40. He worked in company with maiden Tapitution (Constitution), who covered the distance in 1:01.

Champion Storm the Court (Court Vision) also breezed at Del Mar Saturday, going six furlongs in 1:12.80 (2/5) under exercise rider Austin Solis.

“A good work, all we were looking for,” trainer Peter Eurton said. “If he comes out of it well, we’re headed East.”

Grade I winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code) breezed late Saturday morning in SoCal, working seven furlongs in 1:27.20 (2/2) with Hall of Famer Mike Smith aboard. He was clocked in splits of :25.80, :37.80, :50.20, 1:02.80 and 1:14.80 with a one mile gallop-out time of 1:40.60.

“I just wanted an easy seven eighths,” trainer John Shirreffs said. “He got it; we’re good to go. Now we just need a bit of luck. You need some of that in that race.”

The West Coast contingent for the Oaks and Derby is scheduled to ship Monday. John Velazquez rides Gamine and Baffert’s top Derby contender Authentic (Into Mischief); Florent Geroux has the call on Thousand Words; and Julien Leparoux is slated to ride Storm the Court.

Derby & Oaks Breezers Out in Full Force at Churchill

Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), Gamine’s chief market rival in the Run for the Lilies, was among the Oaks and Derby contenders breezing beneath the Twin Spires Saturday. The GI Alabama S. heroine went a half-mile in :49.20 (8/40).

“We went to the frontside [to watch],” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “It was just a happy half-mile, just something to stretch her legs a little bit. Uncomplicated. Brian knows her well. It was nice of him to come by and get on her. All systems go.”

GIII Lecomte S. victor Enforceable (Tapit) breezed a half-mile in :49.60 (16/40) under jockey Adam Beschizza.

“I thought the work was perfect,” said Beschizza, who also had worked Enforceable over the winter at Fair Grounds. “He went a scratch under :50. Mark [Casse] and [assistant trainer] David [Carroll] just wanted to keep the lid on it. His major work was in the bag.”

GII Tampa Bay Derby hero and GI Arkansas Derby runner-up King Guillermo (Uncle Mo) went an easy four furlongs in :52.20 (39/40). The bay went in splits of :14.40 and :27.20 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:05.20.

“[Trainer Juan Avila] asked me to go easy and it was exactly what the horse needed,” exercise rider Edgar Garcia said. “I thought he galloped out around the turn well and was moving very easy on the track. He doesn’t need to do much, he’s pretty fit.”

GIII Indiana Derby runner-up Major Fed (Ghostzapper) was also out for his final move Saturday, going five panels in a best-of-36 :59 flat.

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Tiz The Law ‘A Different Horse’ This Year, Return To Churchill Won’t Be A Problem

The only time likely Grade 1 Kentucky Derby favorite Tiz the Law has not earned a trip to the winner's circle in seven career starts came at Churchill Downs when he capped his juvenile year with a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club last November.

So much has changed since then for the New York-bred son of Constitution, including four straight graded stakes wins to start his sophomore campaign. After capturing the Grade 3 Holy Bull and Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, Tiz the Law has been making history since, becoming the first state-bred in more than a century to win the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes by 3 ¾ lengths on June 20 and followed by throttling the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers field by 5 ½ lengths on August 8 at Saratoga.

Those efforts have primed Tiz the Law, bred in the Empire State by Twin Creeks Farm, for a shot at history as he continues on the Triple Crown trail. The next challenge is a return engagement at Churchill, where he will be the likely heavy favorite in the 146th running of the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on September 5.

Jockey Manny Franco, who expertly piloted the Barclay Tagg-trained Tiz the Law to four Grade 1 wins, including the Champagne in October at Belmont Park, said his charge has matured since his last appearance in the Bluegrass State.

“He's a different horse now. He's very mature and he's improving race-by-race and I'm really happy with the way he's doing it,” Franco said. “His mind is growing and he's doing everything the right way. He's ready for whatever happens.”

Traditionally the opening leg of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby is now the middle jewel, with the Belmont Stakes serving as the opener to accommodate the revised training schedule for 3-year-olds due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Though the circumstances are different with the race being in September instead of May, the “Run for the Roses” will maintain its signature full field, with up to 20 entrants still expected. Though Tiz the Law remains the unanimous leader in the NTRA top 3-year-old poll [and fifth in the top overall thoroughbred poll overall], Franco said the Derby will see the rest of the field looking to take down the favorite.

“If we get a good position, it's going to be the same,” Franco said. “We just need a good break and put him where he's comfortable, and he'll have a great race.”

In the Runhappy Travers, Franco was able to gear down Tiz the Law in deep stretch, but said he likely won't have that luxury a week from now.

“The Derby won't be an easy race, so we have to be prepared for everything that day and I think on that day, I'm going to have to make him run and see what he has in the tank,” Franco said. “He gave me great confidence after the last race because he handled the mile and a quarter, and the way he won, it gave me more confidence.”

The opportunity to ride Tiz the Law for owner Sackatoga Stable has been a continuation of a flourishing career for Franco. Still just 25 years old, Franco has come into his own as a jockey, winning the last two New York Racing Association year-end riding titles on the highly competitive circuit. Last November, he won his first career Breeders' Cup race, guiding Sharing to victory in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and won his first American Classic in this year's Belmont.

A win in the Kentucky Derby would set up a potential history making spot in the Grade 1 Preakness on October 3, where Tiz the Law could attempt to become just the 14th Triple Crown winner in history.

“This is a horse that any rider needs; we all need a shot on this kind of horse,” Franco said. “I'm really enjoying the moment to have this opportunity. I'm trying to do the best I can. He does things the other horses can't. I put him wherever I want and he's going to be there for me. Some horses, that's not [the case]. He has a lot of ability. He's very easy to ride. He rates. He does whatever I ask.”

Franco, who started riding in the United States in 2013, has won seven of his 11 career Grade 1 victories occur since 2019. His agent is Hall of Famer Angel Cordero, Jr., who won a pair of Kentucky Derbies with Bold Forbes in 1976 and Spend a Buck in 1985.

“Angel is a Hall of Fame rider and I'm just happy to have him on my side because he's been in this position before and he always talks to me about how to handle this time,” Franco said. “I'm just blessed to have him in my corner. I just listen to him and try to put it in practice.”

Franco entered Friday with 1,385 career wins in 9,710 starts.

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Constitution Half to Fly So Pretty Scores on Debut at Ellis

4th-Ellis, $46,172, Msw, 8-21, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:05.73, fm.
LA LIBERTEE (f, 2, Constitution–La Rambla {SP}, by City Zip), a half-sister to Tracy Farmer’s homebred Fly So Pretty (Sky Mesa), SW, $125,919, who scored in Aqueduct’s Stewart Manor S. last November at two, made her debut a winning one at Ellis for the same connections. The chestnut found a fluid stride immediately out of the gate and settled into a comfortable third on the rail with the top flight while the rest of the field dawdled several lengths back. Behind fractions of :22.49 for the quarter and :47.12 for the half, La Libertee split horses at the top of the stretch and blew on by the favored front-runner Saturday Night (Tapit). With her ears pricked, she galloped home a 3 3/4-length victress to pay $12.80 as the third choice. Fly So Pretty and La Libertee are La Rambla’s first two foals. The mare produced a filly by Tiznow in 2019, was barren for 2020, and has been bred back to Sky Mesa for 2021. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $27,720. Click for the Equibase.com chart.
O/B-Tracy Farmer (KY); T-Mark E. Casse.

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