Constitution | Horse Racing Free Tips

New York’s Finest

Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law (Constitution) continued his unconventional path to Louisville in this upside down year with a jaw-dropping, geared-down 5 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s GI Runhappy Travers S. at a spectator-free Saratoga.

‘TDN Rising Star’ Caracaro (Uncle Mo) was second; Max Player (Honor Code) finished third.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and I’ve always wanted to win the Travers,” winning trainer Barclay Tagg said. “This has been in my head my whole life. And now it happened so it couldn’t be better. You always have some doubt because many different things can happen. That’s always in the back of you’re a mind, but I was very confident in the horse.”

Sackatoga’s Jack Knowlton added, “It’s just so exciting. To be in the race and to be 1-2, there’s a lot of pressure. We had well-wishers from everywhere. We saw a performance today that just blows me away. We know we had a nice horse. We thought we had the best horse. To do what he did today, we’re looking forward to going to Kentucky now [for the GI Kentucky Derby].”

Knowlton continued, “It’s fabulous. We’re getting redemption 17 years later [Funny Cide, the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, ran third in the Belmont S. and did not run in the Travers]. Tiz won the Belmont, now he won the Travers. It’s quite an accomplishment for our little stable of New York-breds, for Barclay Tagg training our New York-bred to win the biggest races in New York. We’re just thrilled to death.”

The last out GI Belmont S. hero left the stalls in good order and was kept in the clear three wide by Manny Franco as Bob Baffert’s highly regarded unbeaten West Coast invader Uncle Chuck (Uncle Mo) led them into the clubhouse turn.

Tiz the Law, sent off as the 1-2 favorite in the seven-horse affair, chased on the outside in third through an opening quarter in :23.65 and loomed large in that same position through a :48.36 half mile. The New York-bred turned up the heat on the pacesetter, the 5-2 second choice, under confident handling heading into the far turn and the East vs. West showdown was set. Or so it seemed.

Franco remained motionless as Luis Saez was already all in aboard a tiring Uncle Chuck as they hit the quarter pole with Tiz the Law’s big white blaze now in front. It was only a question of by how far from there as Franco took a peek under his shoulder.

Tiz the Law, winner of Gulfstream’s GIII Holy Bull S. and the GI Curlin Florida Derby in his two other appearances earlier this term, was in complete control as they straightened. Franco briefly shook the reins and a single backhander from there was all it took as he eased down late on the early GI Kentucky Derby favorite in the lane to win for fun.

“He gave me chills,” Franco said of the $110,000 SARAUG yearling graduate. “When I pressed the button, he just took off. He accelerated really hard. After that, I took a peek back and he was going away and I just saved horse.”

Tiz the Law will look to collect the second jewel of this rescheduled COVID-19 Triple Crown on the first Saturday in September.

“I don’t think we’ll change a whole lot,” Tagg said. “We’ll give him 10 days of easiness and then get a few more breezes in him before we go out there. That’s about all we can do.”

Pedigree Notes:

Constitution, the runaway leading second-crop sire of 2020 by earnings and heir-apparent to his sire Tapit, is the sire of Tiz the Law and five other black-type winners, including Alexandria, who won the Best of Ohio Miss Ohio S. also on Saturday, and Laura’s Light, who won the July 25 GII San Clemente S. at Del Mar. Five of Constitution’s six stakes winners are graded and five more of his eight additional stakes horses are graded-placed. Constitution shares stallion duties at WinStar Farm with Horse of the Year Tiznow, who is Tiz the Law’s broodmare sire and is also the damsire of Constitution’s additional stakes horses Our Country (GIII Pilgrim S.) and Kansas Kis (Busher Invitational S.). Winner of the 2009 GII San Gorgonio H. at Santa Anita and full-sister to GSW and GISP Fury Kapcori, Tiz the Law’s dam, Tizfiz, hails from the female family of Horse of the Year Favorite Trick (Phone Trick). She also has 2-year-old filly Angel Oak (Mission Impazible) and a yearling colt by that same sire. Although she was bred to Constitution for 2020, no foal has been reported for Tizfiz this year. Tiz the Law will stand at Coolmore America’s Ashford Stud upon his retirement, it was announced in late June.

Saturday, Saratoga
RUNHAPPY TRAVERS S.-GI, $980,000, Saratoga, 8-8, 3yo, 1 1/4m, 2:00.95, ft.
1–TIZ THE LAW, 126, c, 3, by Constitution
1st Dam: Tizfiz (GSW, $410,944), by Tiznow
2nd Dam: Gin Running, by Go for Gin
3rd Dam: Crafty and Evil, by Crafty Prospector
($110,000 Ylg ’18 SARAUG). O-Sackatoga Stable; B-Twin Creeks Farm (NY); T-Barclay Tagg; J-Manuel Franco. $535,000. Lifetime Record: 7-6-0-1, $2,015,300. *1/2 to Awestruck (Tapit), MSP, $357,116. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A.
2–Caracaro, 126, c, 3, Uncle Mo–Peace Time, by War Front. ($95,000 Wlg ’17 KEENOV). O-Global Thoroughbred & Top Racing LLC; B-SF Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Gustavo Delgado. $185,000.
3–Max Player, 126, c, 3, Honor Code–Fools in Love, by Not For Love. ($150,000 RNA Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-George E Hall & SportBLX Thoroughbreds Corp; B-K & G Stables (KY); T-Linda Rice. $100,000.
Margins: 5HF, 2, 2. Odds: 0.50, 11.00, 11.40.
Also Ran: South Bend, Country Grammer, Uncle Chuck, Shivaree. Scratched: First Line.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Tiz The Law 9-5 Morning Line Favorite In Final Kentucky Derby Future Wager

Sackatoga Stable's $1 million Belmont Stakes (Grade I) winner Tiz the Law continues to be top of mind with many horseplayers and was made the 9-5 morning line favorite for the final pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”), which spans Friday to Sunday.

This weekend's Pool 7 is the final opportunity to wager on the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby prior to the event.

Tiz the Law, a multiple Grade I-winning son of Constitution, stamped himself as the early Kentucky Derby favorite with his victory in 1 1/8-mile Belmont Stakes – the kickoff leg to this year's Triple Crown series. Trained by Barclay Tagg, Tiz the Law is the even-money morning line favorite for Saturday's $1 million Travers (GI) at Saratoga.

The co-headliner of the Travers is Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman's undefeated colt Uncle Chuck (6-1), who will enter Saturday's 1 ¼-mile event following a four-length score in last month's Los Alamitos Derby (GIII). Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Uncle Chuck is one of three entrants in Pool 7 of the KDFW for the five-time Derby-winning conditioner. Other entrants are Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables and Starlight Racing's $1 million Haskell winner Authentic (8-1) and Albaugh Family Stable and Spendthrift Farm's multiple Grade II winner Thousand Words (20-1).

Also likely to take interest is C R K Stable's $400,000 Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner Honor A.P. (6-1) and Bruce Lunsford's $600,000 Blue Grass (GII) hero and likely headliner in Sunday's $200,000 Ellis Park Derby Art Collector (6-1).

Here's the complete field for Pool 7 of the KDFW: #1 Anneau d'Or (50-1); #2 Art Collector (6-1); #3 Authentic (8-1); #4 Caracaro (50-1); #5 Country Grammer (20-1); #6 Dean Martini (50-1); #7 Dr Post (20-1): #8 Enforceable (30-1); #9 Finnick the Fierce (50-1); #10 Honor A.P. (6-1); #11 King Guillermo (30-1); #12 Major Fed (50-1); #13 Max Player (20-1); #14 Ny Traffic (20-1); #15 Pneumatic (50-1); #16 Rushie (50-1); #17 Shared Sense (50-1); #18 Shivaree (50-1); #19 Sole Volante (50-1); #20 South Bend (50-1); #21 Thousand Words (20-1); #22 Tiz the Law (9-5); #23 Uncle Chuck (6-1); and #24 “All Other 3-Year-Olds” (30-1).

There are 12 entrants in Pool 7 of the KDFW who are expected to run in Saturday's Travers or Sunday's Ellis Park Derby: Anneau d'Or (Ellis Park Derby); Art Collector (Ellis Park Derby); Caracaro (Travers); Country Grammer (Travers): Dean Martini (Ellis Park Derby); Finnick the Fierce (Ellis Park Derby); Max Player (Travers); Shared Sense (Ellis Park Derby); Shivaree (Travers); South Bend (Travers); Tiz the Law (Travers); and Uncle Chuck (Travers).

On March 17, Churchill Downs Incorporated announced the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) would be rescheduled from May 2 to Sept. 5 amid public health concerns in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager features $2 Win and Exacta wagering, and provides fans of Thoroughbred racing with opportunities to place bets on possible entrants in the Kentucky Derby at odds that could be far greater than those available on the day of the race.

Bets for the KDFW can be placed on TwinSpires.com and other online wagering outlets across North America. There are no refunds in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Should Churchill Downs officials determine during the duration of the three-day pool that one of the wagering interests has experienced an injury, illness or other circumstance that would prevent the horse from participating in the Kentucky Derby, betting on the individual horse will be suspended immediately.

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‘I’ve Never Seen Him Take A Deep Breath’: Tagg Unconcerned About Travers Distance With Tiz The Law

Trainer Barclay Tagg is looking forward to Saturday's Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga with even money morning-line favorite Tiz The Law, and he doesn't believe the 1 1/4-mile distance will be a problem for the 3-year-old son of Constitution.

“He's done everything we've asked him to do,” Tagg told NYRA publicity after Wednesday's post position draw. “We've been very fortunate. I don't think any distance makes a difference for this horse. From what I've seen, I just don't have any feeling that he can't handle it. It would be nice to win it if we could.

“I've never seen him take a deep breath. I've never had him out of breath after a workout. I've never had him way out of breath after a race and he [cools] off very quickly. His lungs settle right down and nothing seems to be a hazard. I could be all wrong in that. It might change in another eighth of a mile, I don't know, but I've got no reason to worry about it.”

Tiz the Law will break from post position six in a field of eight, and the Sackatoga Stable colt will be ridden by regular jockey Manny Franco.

“I think he's matured enough now that outside or inside is not going to bother him too much,” said Tagg of the post. “I'd prefer that he's on the outside just because you have less chance of getting in trouble. Not that you can't, but you have less chance. I think post 6 is fine. Five would have been fine. Four would have been fine. Any of those three would have been fine with me.”

The Belmont Stakes and Florida Derby winner has a total of 272 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, and tops the current leaderboard approaching the rescheduled classic on Sept. 5. The $1 million Travers will offer 100-40-20-10 points to the top-four finishers.

With four weeks between the Travers and the Run for the Roses, Tiz the Law will face a field that includes lightly-raced Bob Baffert trainee Uncle Chuck, last-out winner of the Los Alamitos Derby.

“Bob Baffert does very, very well,” Tagg said. “He's got fresh stock all the time and good horses, so you've always got to be concerned. But if you let the concern bother you too much, you wouldn't be racing horses. You can't worry about that. All I worry about his having my horse get there the best we can get him there. He's done everything we've asked him to do.”

The full field for the Travers is as follows:

First Line – Orlando Noda – David Cohen (30-1)
Country Grammer – Chad Brown – Irad Ortiz, Jr. (6-1)
Uncle Chuck – Bob Baffert – Luis Saez (5-2)
Max Player – Linda Rice – Joel Rosario (6-1)
Shivaree – Ralph Nicks – Junior Alvarado (30-1)
Tiz the Law – Barclay Tagg – Manny Franco (1-1)
Caracaro – Gustavo Delgado – Javier Castellano (10-1)
South Bend – Bill Mott – Jose Ortiz (15-1)

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Tiz the Law Breezes for Runhappy Travers

Sackatoga Stable’s GI Belmont S. winner Tiz the Law (Constitution) breezed five-eighths in 1:00.48 (2/16) Saturday morning on the Saratoga Race Course main track in preparation for the $1-million GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 8.

The three-time Grade I winner recorded splits of :24.20 and :36.00 before galloping out in 1:13.80 with exercise rider Heather Smullen aboard.

“He does exactly what you tell him to do,” Smullen said. “It was a little different this week just because there was some traffic right off the rail and last week there was no one around and nothing for him to look at. This week, there were a couple horses down the stretch and he just buzzed right by them. I never moved my hands or asked him to do anything. He just stays on his own course, does his job, and gallops out great. I just sat there, and he did it on his own. Everything today was just easy and comfortable on his part.”

Trainer Barclay Tagg added, “Nothing fazes him. I don’t know that I’ve ever had a horse quite like him. His breathing was perfect. You could tell he just worked, but it was nothing like most horses. He’s got three nice races under him. He’s good and fit and he’s trained perfectly. He seems willing to want to do more. Whenever we do more, he blazes off just as fast. He’s a great horse to have. We try not to take anything away from him.”

Tiz the Law, a $110,000 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Yearling graduate, leads all contenders with 272 GI Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

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