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‘He Went Perfectly’: Tagg Pleased With Tiz The Law’s Final Classic Breeze

Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law, who looms as one of the favorites for next Saturday's $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), completed his major preparation for the 1 1/4-mile test by working five furlongs in :59.20 and galloping out 6 furlongs in 1:12.20 under Heather Smullen over a fast track at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

“I saw just what I wanted. He went perfectly,” trainer Barclay Tagg said. “We wanted him to go in :59 and he went in :59.20 so it was just right.”

Tiz the Law arrived at Keeneland Oct. 18, and this morning's work was his second over the track. He worked 6 furlongs in 1:13.20 on Oct. 23.

“I thought he needs to get a good feel of this track (because) he has never run over it,” Tagg said of the early arrival. “He has to run against older horses; it is going to be a tough race.

“I have a super-duper crew and everything has gone right (with Tiz the Law). We pay attention to the horses. We carry 30 horses at the most and try to get the best out of what we got and every now and then we get a good one.”

The only Classic pre-entrant to have been at Keeneland longer than Tiz the Law is Hronis Racing's Higher Power.

Early Saturday morning, Higher Power recorded his fifth work since arriving here the first of the month from Southern California.

With Juan Leyva, assistant to trainer John Sadler, aboard, Higher Power worked five furlongs in :58.80 and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:11.60.

“I liked the way he came back from it,” Leyva said. “He was blowing a little bit but not out of this world. His level of fitness has really progressed here.”

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Breeders’ Cup Classic Contender Higher Power To Stand At Darby Dan Farm Upon Retirement

Higher Power, a Grade 1-winning millionaire by Medaglia d'Oro, will retire to Darby Dan Farm at the conclusion of his racing career and stand in partnership with Matt Bowling Bloodstock, the farm announced today.

The Hronis Racing colorbearer, trained by John Sadler, is pointing to the Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 7 at Keeneland. His 2021 fee will be $10,000 S&N for nominations done prior to the Breeders' Cup.

A dominant 5 1/4-length winner of the 2019 Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar, Higher Power recorded a career-best 107 Beyer in the scintillating victory, running away from a contentious field that included three Grade 1 winners. A five-time winner of more than $1.5 million heading into this year's Breeders' Cup, Higher Power has been a gem of consistency competing strictly in top company since his Pacific Classic triumph with graded stakes placings in the Breeders' Cup Classic, G1 Hollywood Gold Cup, G1 Awesome Again Stakes, and G2 San Diego Handicap.

“He is all class. He showed his talent and his impressive turn of foot in winning the Pacific Classic in the manner that he did,” said Ryan Norton, Darby Dan's stallion director. “He descends from an outstanding Pin Oak family, has a stallion's pedigree, and physically, he is a superb individual.”

While his greatest success has come at the Classic distance of 1 1/4 miles, Higher Power was precocious. He broke his maiden at two for trainer Donnie Von Hemel and owner-breeder Pin Oak Stable and won his 3-year-old debut at Oaklawn Park, defeating subsequent graded stakes winner New York Central.

Purchased by David Ingordo on behalf of Hronis Racing for $250,000 from the 2019 Keeneland April Sale Horses of Racing Age session, Higher Power on Sunday turned in his final major work before the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Classic, working seven furlongs in 1:25.40 at Keeneland.

By the elite sire Medaglia d'Oro, Higher Power was bred in Kentucky by Pin Oak Stud. He is out of the multiple stakes-winning Seattle Slew mare Alternate, who has also produced multiple graded stakes-winning Alternation, winner of the G2 Peter Pan Stakes and G2 Oaklawn Handicap, and sire of 2019 Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress. Alternate is also a half-sister to 1995 Canadian Horse of the Year and multiple Grade 1 winner Peaks and Valleys, from the female family of Grade 1 winner Mucho Gusto.

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Gift Box Retired To Stand At Lane’s End In 2021

Grade 1 winning millionaire Gift Box has been retired from racing and will begin his new career as a stallion at Lane's End starting in 2021.

The colt retires as a Grade-1 and three-time graded stakes winner with a record of 18-6-6-2 from the ages of two to six. In 2019, Gift Box was among the leading older horses in America after a string of graded stakes performances that included a Grade 1 victory in the Santa Anita Handicap. He retires as the highest-earning colt by his leading sixth-crop sire Twirling Candy. He will join his sire, along with his grandsire Candy Ride, who both also stand at Lane's End.

“Gift Box was an incredibly talented and consistent racehorse,” said John Sadler. “We ran him back-to-back in graded stakes race after graded stakes race and he was only ever off the board once. These are attributes you do not often see in the modern racehorse. He had speed, toughness, sound enough to race on in the handicap division, everything a trainer wants in a two-turn dirt horse.”

As a 2-year-old Gift Box broke his maiden at Belmont posting a 93 Beyer before targeting the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes in his next start, where he was beaten by just three lengths into third. In doing so, he became a graded stakes performer in just his third start as a 2-year-old.

Gift Box opened his 3-year-old campaign with a victory in a competitive allowance race at Belmont by 4 1/2 lengths, posting a 98 Beyer. His next start that year came in the Curlin Stakes where he was defeated by subsequent Grade 1 winner Connect. Just a month later he finished fourth in the G1 Travers at Saratoga to Champion Arrogate, defeating Grade 1 winners Connect, Creator and Exaggerator.

“Gift Box represents so much of what we're about at Lane's End. A Grade 1 winner at a mile and a quarter on the dirt, speed, out of a tremendous mare from a sire line we believe in,” said Bill Farish. “That's what we've been successful with and I'm appreciative of the opportunity Hronis Racing has given us.”

Gift Box's career hit new heights as an older horse when he got a much-deserved graded stakes victory in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita defeating Grade 1 winner Battle of Midway. This race was the first of four further graded stakes starts that only saw Gift Box off the board once. His next start came in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap where he defeated four-time Grade 1 winner McKinzie. In his next start he finished second in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita, posting a 105 Beyer before winning the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes in his final start by almost 4 lengths, posting a career high 107 Beyer. Gift Box posted four triple-digit Beyers in a career that saw three graded stakes victories.

“Gift Box was always involved in races of the highest level and as owners we could not ask any more than that,” said Kosta Hronis. “John [Sadler] always had a tremendous amount of confidence in him, and time and time again Gift Box proved him right. We are going to stay involved in his next career as a stallion at Lane's End, where they have a proven track record of nurturing a young stallion's career.”

Bred by Craig and Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall, Gift Box was a $135,000 Keeneland November purchase. He is out of the Unbridled's Song mare Special Me. His pedigree is free of Storm Cat and A.P. Indy which will be appealing to breeders as both have been a proven success with Candy Ride and Twirling Candy, producing the likes of Grade 1 winner Collusion Illusion.

Gift Box will be syndicated and available for inspection in the coming weeks at Lane's End Farm and a stud fee will be determined.

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Gift Box Retired to Lane’s End

Hronis Racing’s Grade I-winning millionaire Gift Box (Twirling Candy–Special Me, by Unbridled’s Song) has been retired from racing and will take up stud duties in 2021 at Lane’s End Farm.

On the board in the GII Remsen S. as a juvenile and second in the Curlin S. at Saratoga as a sophomore, Gift Box joined the John Sadler barn in the second half of his 5-year-old season and immediately bested GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile hero Battle of Midway (Smart Strike) in the GII San Antonio S. in December of 2018. He then defeated MGISW McKinzie (Street Sense) in a hard-fought duel in last April’s GI Santa Anita H., and was a close second to eventual GI Breeders’ Cup Classic victor Vino Rosso (Curlin) in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita that May. He was last seen defending his San Antonio title at the end of December while earning a career-best 107 Beyer Speed Figure. The grey retires with a record of 18-6-6-2 and earnings of $1,127,060.

“Gift Box was an incredibly talented and consistent racehorse,” said Sadler. “We ran him back-to-back in graded stakes race after graded stakes race and he was only ever off the board once. These are attributes you do not often see in the modern racehorse. He had speed, toughness, sound enough to race on in the handicap division, everything a trainer wants in a two-turn dirt horse.”

Bred by Machmer Hall, Carrie and Craig Brogden, Gift Box is a half-brother to MGSW and GISP Stonetastic (Mizzen Mast) and last year’s GII Autumn S. winner Special Forces (Candy Ride {Arg}). His yearling half-sister by Into Mischief sold for $1,025,000 to agent Liz Crow at last month’s Keeneland September sale.

Gift Box is the highest-earning son of his leading sixth-crop sire, and will stand at Lane’s End alongside both Twirling Candy and grandsire Candy Ride (Arg).

“Gift Box represents so much of what we’re about at Lane’s End: a Grade I winner at a mile and a quarter on the dirt, speed, out of a tremendous mare from a sire line we believe in,” said Bill Farish. “That’s what we’ve been successful with and I’m appreciative of the opportunity Hronis Racing has given us.”

Kosta Hronis added, “Gift Box was always involved in races of the highest level and as owners we could not ask any more than that. John always had a tremendous amount of confidence in him, and time and time again Gift Box proved him right. We are going to stay involved in his next career as a stallion at Lane’s End, where they have a proven track record of nurturing a young stallion’s career.”

Gift Box joins a roster that includes fellow Hronis/Sadler standouts Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) and Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags). He will be syndicated and available for inspection in the coming weeks at Lane’s End Farm and a stud fee will be determined.

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