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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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Tagg Calls Tiz The Law’s Penultimate Derby Work ‘Perfect’

After Saturday's sudden downpour in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., that drastically changed the track conditions and postponed Tiz the Law's workout, the Sackatoga Stable-owned colt was the first horse on the Saratoga Race Course main track Sunday, breezing five furlongs in a bullet 59.47 seconds in preparation for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on September 5.

At 5:30 a.m., on the main track rated fast with exercise rider Heather Smullen up, Tiz the Law reached three furlongs in :35 3/5 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12 4/5 and up in 1:26 for seven furlongs.

Trainer Barclay Tagg said the workout for the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers champ was “perfect” as he prepares for the Kentucky Derby, second leg of the Triple Crown, at Churchill Downs. The third leg of the Triple Crown, the Grade 1 Preakness, is slated for October 3 at Pimlico Race Course.

“It went fast enough, but not too fast,” Tagg said. “It was a little quicker than usual, but it wasn't too quick for him. He's a pretty fast horse. I told Heather I wanted a good work in him. I didn't want to set any records out there. I wanted her to keep a good snug hold on him. I wanted a good work.”

This was the first workout for Tiz the Law since winning the Travers by 5 1/2 lengths on August 8. With two weeks before the Kentucky Derby, Tagg said this workout was important.

“This is an important workout. In one way, I don't have any way to make up for it,” Tagg said. “It's the first thing he has done in the last two or three weeks. That's why I needed a good work today. If he goes a little too slow going on top of the race, I wouldn't want that, but I don't want it too fast either. It's going to have to be almost perfect. If it's just like today, that would be fine. I can only work him two times before this race. To me, this work was more important.”

Smullen said the colt performed in a professional manner while working on the Saratoga main track.

“It was a little dark and he wasn't quite as focused going down the backside,” she said. “He was playing around. At the three-eighths pole, I took my stick out. He stayed nice and straight. I never had to ask him. At the eighth pole, he saw a horse. I didn't have to do anything. He finished up his work. Galloping out, he just kept going. He's good at what he does.”

Watching near the clocker stand on the backstretch, Sackatoga Stable principal owner Jack Knowlton said he was also impressed with the workout and gallop out.

“Pretty amazing,” Knowlton said. “If you watch him gallop out, he just wants more. He isn't even breathing hard, which is pretty amazing. They didn't expect that he was going to have a fast work. They wanted him to have a vigorous work and gallop out and get a lot out of the work. I think they got all of that and more. [Assistant trainer] Robin [Smullen] and Barclay said not to expect a real fast time because the plan was to be off the rail because the rail was pretty deep.”

Tagg also had Joyce B. Young's Highland Sky working over the Oklahoma training turf course this morning in preparation for the Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer. Also with Smullen aboard, the 7-year-old gelding went in 1:01.22.

Highland Sky made a belated run from the back of the field in the Grade 2 Bowling Green, crossing the wire in third before being elevated to second behind Cross Border. This was the second workout off that race as his first workout was a bullet in 1:00 1/5 on August 14.

“He's doing well since that race,” Tagg said. “If he wasn't doing well, I wouldn't be running him.”

Almost five years ago [September 5, 2015] Highland Sky won his debut at Saratoga going 1 1/16 miles over the turf course. He has also won over the Saratoga main track by taking the John's Call in the off-the-turf event last August by 81/4 lengths.

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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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‘The Pinnacle Of What We Hope For’: Tiz The Law A ‘Star Pupil’ On And Off The Track

Belmont Stakes hero Tiz the Law, born at Sequel Stallions in Hudson, N.Y., and raised in Versailles, Ky., by breeder Twin Creeks Farm, is the even-money morning-line favorite for Saturday's Grade 1, $1-million Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

The two outfits enjoy a strong relationship, with Sequel Stallions serving as home to the Twin Creeks Racing Stables' campaigned stallions Mission Impazible and Destin.

Becky Thomas, owner of Sequel Stallions, said Tiz the Law, a son of Constitution, displayed intelligence and athletic promise from his very first steps.

“We just showed him what we wanted him to do and he listened,” said Thomas. “We try very hard as a farm to be able to breed and raise a good horse and Tiz the Law is the pinnacle of what we hope for.”

Randy Gullatt, who manages Twin Creeks Farm for director Steve Davison, has been associated with Tiz the Law since the colt and his Grade 2-winning dam Tizfiz shipped to Kentucky just 90 days after being foaled.

Tiz the Law excelled at the 230-acre farm before shipping back up to New York for the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred Yearling Sale, and Gullatt said that not much has changed in terms of the horse's demeanor.

“He was very similar to what he is now,” Gullatt said. “Just very easy to manage, very happy, very intelligent and very pleasant to be around.”

Thomas said Tiz the Law exuded class ahead of the sale, where he was purchased for $110,000 by Jack Knowlton of Sackatoga Stables.

“I have found that horses who are smart may go to a place with new surroundings, look around and just process their new environment, but those kinds of horses are the ones that make good racehorses,” said Thomas. “You can go from one place to the next, ship them and move them because they're smart. They want to please you, they stay in their tub, they do the right thing, and they show well at the sale. Tiz the Law was a class act and a star pupil all the way through.

“I wish we could have all babies and yearlings like Tiz the Law,” Thomas added. “They're the kind that the veterinarian doesn't know because nothing is wrong with them. Your help goes to the sale and lead them out because they aren't problematic. He's one of those horses that are always wanting to please, did everything right, and are well-balanced.”

Tiz the Law was a winner at first asking at Saratoga for trainer Barclay Tagg on Aug. 8, 2019, exactly one year removed from Saturday's Travers.

The talented bay has since flourished, winning three Grade 1 races including last year's Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park, the Florida Derby in March at Gulfstream Park and most recently, the Belmont Stakes, where on June 20 he became the first New York-bred in 138 years to win the American classic.

Gullatt and Thomas have both identified Tiz the Law's athleticism as his most outstanding attribute.

“I think 'athletic' would be the word I use more commonly than others,” Thomas said. “He's not a big, stretchy horse, he's a medium-sized horse. Tiz the Law, even though he wasn't a big overpowering horse, he had really good length in his back and those horses cover a lot of ground and they have a lot of room to reach up under them when they're moving. In his case, how he runs is how he walked.”

“He was a very athletic horse,” Gullatt concurred. “He had a very good hind leg on him. I think his mind was just so good. He was very easy to please and loved his job. He wasn't an overly big horse, but it was all his athleticism and his mind that were his biggest strengths.”

In a game of ups and downs, Thomas said she takes a strong sense of pride in being associated with the development of a horse of Tiz the Law's caliber.

“We sure kiss a lot of frogs before we get to that prince,” Thomas said. “We work really hard to produce a product that succeeds in the sales ring and on the racetrack. It's important to me to be associated with these types of horses and types of mares. It's everything we work for.”

Gullatt won 89 races as a trainer before switching careers, and he praised Tagg for being able to keep Tiz the Law in top form throughout the year.

“What's amazing to me is that it's very difficult to do well for as long as Barclay has had this horse do well and just stay at that peak level,” Gullatt said. “So, I think it just goes to show the strength of the horse and how well he's fit Barclay's program. It's a match made in heaven.”

Fans of Tiz the Law can look forward to seeing his Twin Creeks Racing-owned 2-year-old half-sister Angel Oak, by Mission Impazible, make her debut this fall for trainer Todd Pletcher.

“She was up at Belmont and was off one day, so we decided to back off and give her a little break,” said Gullatt. “She's currently at WinStar but she's training every day and we hope to have her ready in the fall. There's a New York-sired stakes race in December that we have circled that I would love to make.”

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