The popular New York-bred foaled at the nearby McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, and owned by the New York-based Sackatoga Stable, died at the age of 23 on July 17 from complications of colic at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. He won the 2003 Derby and Preakness and his attempt to sweep the Triple Crown series ended with a third-place finish in the GI Belmont S.

While five other Thoroughbreds are buried under markers on the grounds of America's oldest racetrack, Funny Cide is the first to be placed in a location–under a tree just behind the clubhouse–that is accessible to the public. Sackatoga managing partner Jack Knowlton said he is pleased the that New York Racing Association agreed to his request to place the memorial where it did. Knowlton said he worked with NYRA President and CEO David O'Rourke, NYRA executive VP Glen Kozak and Najja Thompson, the executive director of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc.

“I think they got the right spot,” Knowlton said.

Four horses–Fourstardave, APhenomenon, Mourjane and Quick Call–are buried near the jogging track in Clare Court in the backstretch. Hall of Famer and champion Go for Wand is buried in the infield. Knowlton said he pushed back on the suggestion to put Funny Cide's ashes in Clare Court.

“Different people said, 'Oh, great horses are buried there, do that. Maybe do something in the walking ring,” Knowlton said.  “He's the people's horse and we wanted people to have access and let the fans see him. That's what was agreed upon and I think it's a great spot. All racing fans are going to have access to it and hopefully have good memories. Right now, we need good memories.”

Knowlton and Sackatoga partner Lew Titterton placed the metal box with the ashes in the site that had been prepared as Thompson addressed the crowd of about 50 people who attended. Trainer Barclay Tagg and his assistant Robin Smullen and his regular rider, Hall of Fame jockey Jose Santos, participated in the event.

Later, Knowlton said that some of the gelding's ashes will be buried at the Kentucky Horse Park, where he lived for 15 years and was a favorite of visitors, and at the McMahon farm.

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Funny Cide, who died earlier this summer due to complications from colic, earned more than $3.5 million during his six-year  career, including when he became the first New York-bred to win the “Run for the Roses”. He was later named the 2003 Eclipse Award winner for Champion 3-Year-Old Colt.

“Few of us will ever forget Funny Cide's remarkable 2003 season, which helped shine a light on the growing success of the New York-bred program,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke. “NYRA is honored to celebrate his life and career on this most appropriate of days: New York Showcase Day at Saratoga.”

Funny Cide's remains will be buried at Saratoga during a brief ceremony starting at 11 a.m. inside Gate C and just a short distance from the horse path. Saratoga Race Course will be the final resting place for the two-time New York-bred Horse of the Year.

“Funny Cide was instrumental in helping to elevate the New York-bred program to national prominence and was a fan favorite wherever he ran,” said Najja Thompson, executive director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. “His connection to the city of Saratoga Springs extends beyond being foaled locally at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds and campaigned by Sackatoga Stable. Residents of the city and racing fans understand the great impact he made on our sport. It is an honor to have him recognized on New York Showcase Day and for visitors to Saratoga Race Course to be able to pay their respects to him going forward.”

Funny Cide's connections, Sackatoga Managing Partner Jack Knowlton, trainer Barclay Tagg, assistant trainer Robin Smullen and Hall of Fame jockey Jose Santos, will be on hand to sign an array of memorabilia, including Funny Cide posters and bobbleheads, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Jockey Silks Porch. Suggested donations will benefit the Backstretch Employee Service Team (BEST) and the New York Race Track Chaplaincy, a pair of non-profit organizations dedicated to the care and well-being of members of NYRA's backstretch community.

Later in the afternoon, following the annual running of the Funny Cide S. presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, NYRA will present a video compilation of his career. Funny Cide retired in 2007 and resided at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, until the time of his passing in mid-July.

“Sackatoga Stable is most appreciative of NYRA's recognition of the impact Funny Cide has had on and off the track throughout his storied career,” said Knowlton. “We are particularly proud of the impact he has had on the New York-bred program in its growth since his 2003 Kentucky Derby victory. Always a fan favorite, it is particularly fitting that Funny Cide's remains will be buried at Saratoga Race Course in a place where fans can remember the 'Gutsy Gelding.'”

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Presented by Sackatoga Stable, the evening will feature a tribute video and a panel discussion emceed by Retired Race Caller Tom Durkin who called Funny Cide's wins in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness S. The panel will also feature commentary by Sackatoga Stable Operating Manager and Funny Cide Owner, Jack Knowlton, Trainer Barclay Tagg, Assistant Trainer Robin Smullen and Hall of Fame Jockey José Santos.

“Funny Cide was really the people's horse,” Jack Knowlton said, “We know his loss is felt by many and we wanted to give his fans a chance to celebrate his life with us. We are grateful to everyone that is helping to make this event a reality and look forward to a night that will do his legacy justice.”

The evening's activities will also feature food including Funny Cide sliders, music by Blue Hand Luke, Funny Cide's trophies from his victories in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness S. and Jockey Club Gold Cup S. from Kentucky Horse Park and memorabilia from Jack Knowlton's private collection, some of which will be available to take home with a donation.

Tickets for the event can be purchased online at www.eventbrite.com. General Admission tickets are $35 and include admission and food. A limited number of VIP tickets will be available for $100 and include admission, food, non-reserved seating, and a commemorative t-shirt.

All proceeds from the evening will be donated to Kentucky Horse Park toward their effort to commission a commemorative statue in honor of Funny Cide.

Doors open at 6pm. Siro's will be donating a portion of the bars' proceeds to Kentucky Horse Park.

Sackatoga Stable is grateful to all the event sponsors: Brook Ledge Horse Transportation, Capital OTB, Fasig-Tipton, Finger Lakes Race Track, McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, NYRA, New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Performance Food Group, Pimlico Race Course, Saratoga County Chamber, US Foods and WinStar Farm.

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Owned by Sackatoga Stable, formed by Jack Knowlton and based in upstate New York, Funny Cide won the GI Kentucky Derby and the GI Preakness S. His bid to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978 ended in the GI Belmont S., when he finished third behind Empire Maker (Unbridled) over the sloppy course.

Funny Cide's unlikely rise to the top of the 3-year-old male division and his enthusiastic group of owners–who rode from their hotel to Churchill Downs for the Derby in a yellow school bus they rented–became a national story that transcended racing. He was the first New York-bred and the first gelding since Clyde Van Dusen in 1929 to win the Derby.

After being notified of Funny Cide's passing by officials at the Kentucky Horse Park–where he was a featured resident for 15 years–Knowlton drove over to Barclay Tagg's barn at Saratoga Race Course for what was a teary conversation to tell the news to the veteran trainer and his assistant Robin Smullen, who was his exercise rider.

“It's sad,” Knowlton said. “Obviously, life-changing for me, personally.”

Tagg has saddled 1,613 winners and developed five millionaires during his 40 years as a trainer. Funny Cide was his first Classic race winner and is his leading earner.

“He's one of the best and he just did a lot for us in every way,” Tagg said. “Some horses are great race horses. Some of them are good friends. He just had a lot of charisma with him.”

Smullen noted that Funny Cide knew he was good.

“And he'd remind you of it, too,” Tagg said.

Knowlton said he was told that Funny Cide appeared to be fine Saturday, but began showing signs of distress in the evening. He underwent surgery, but could not be saved.

Tagg purchased Funny Cide privately for Sackatoga for $75,000 as a 2-year-old. A member of Distorted Humor's first crop, he showed promise later that year, winning all three starts against New York-bred company and was the state's juvenile male champ. He emerged as a Triple Crown series-caliber runner early in his 3-year-old season, though he was winless in three starts before the Derby. He had a troubled trip starting from post 13 in the GIII Holy Bull S. and finished fifth on Jan. 18 at Gulfstream Park. On Mar. 9 at Fair Grounds, he ended up third, but was moved up to second on the DQ of Kafwain, in the GII Louisiana Derby. One month later, he turned in a strong performance in the GI Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, ending up a half-length behind Empire Maker.

At Churchill Downs, the Bobby Frankel-trained Empire Maker was the Derby favorite and Funny Cide was nearly 12.80-1. Frankel was dealing with a hoof issue with Empire Maker, but decided to start the colt. Under future Hall of Fame jockey Jose Santos, Funny Cide prevailed over Empire Maker by 1 1/4 lengths. Two weeks later in the Preakness, Funny Cide was much the best in the 10-horse field and won by 9 3/4 lengths.

Sackatoga's memorable Triple Crown run ended at Belmont Park against five other runners. Funny Cide went to the lead early, but could not maintain his advantage against consistent pressure and ended up five lengths behind Empire Maker, who had skipped the Preakness.

“I tell everybody, I will go to my grave wondering what if it didn't rain five inches on Belmont Day what would have happened?” Knowlton said. “That's not to say that Empire Maker was probably more likely to win the Belmont, but Funny hated that racetrack. So, who knows? We'll never know.”

Funny Cide competed in six seasons and was retired in 2007 with a record of 11-6-8 from 38 starts and purse earnings of $3,529,412. At the time of his retirement, he was the top New York-bred in purse earnings. Besides the Derby and the Preakness, he also won the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup as a 4-year-old.

Though Funny Cide had strong ties to Saratoga, he was foaled a McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, and Knowlton ran the stable in Saratoga Springs, he only made two starts at Saratoga Race Course: second to Evening Attire in the 2004 GII Saratoga Breeders' Cup H. and an eighth in the 2006 GI Woodward S. He was being aimed for the 2003 GI Travers S. at Saratoga, but was sick after running third in the GI Haskell Invitational on a very hot day and missed Saratoga's marquee race. Seventeen years later, Sackatoga and Tagg won the 2020 Travers with Tiz the Law (Constitution).

A street sign bearing the names of Funny Cide and 2003 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Bird Town owned by Marylou Whitney is at the intersection of Union Ave. and East Ave. in Saratoga Springs, near the main entrance to the famous track.

Funny Cide made three appearances at Saratoga Race Course after he was retired, most recently in 2015.

Knowlton said part of his annual trip to the Kentucky Derby was a visit to the Horse Park to see Funny Cide. He also saw the horse the three times Keeneland hosted the Breeders' Cup.

“The last couple of years he looked better than he had in a while,” Knowlton said. “He had lost some weight, but the right way. His coat was shining. Everything was good. They would bring him out in a grassy area. People could take pictures. Kids could feed him peppermints. It was all good.”

Knowlton said the Kentucky Horse Park was the ideal retirement venue for Funny Cide.

“It was fabulous. He had 15 years there,” Knowlton said. “People got access. He was the star of the show down there, without any question. The most popular horse. The biggest draw.”

Knowlton grew up in the tiny village of Sackets Harbor on the eastern end of Lake Ontario. He developed an interest in racing as an adult and during one reunion convinced five of his high school buddies to form a small stable. It was named Sackatoga by blending Sackets Harbor with Saratoga Springs, where Knowlton and his family lived. Funny Cide gave the everyman stable of the original Sackets Six and four other investors a memorable ride.

“There was the whole experience of the Sackets guys,” Knowlton said, “and winning the Kentucky Derby. Then all the hoopla.”

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Exactly one year after winning his career debut at Saratoga Race Course, Tiz the Law returned to the famous Spa oval with a 5½-length victory in the 2020 Travers with Franco in the irons. The New York-bred son of Constitution entered the Travers following victories in the Belmont Stakes, Florida Derby, and Holy Bull Stakes. Tiz the Law was retired earlier this year with a career record of 6-1-1 from nine starts and earnings of $2,735,300. He is now a stallion at Coolmore America in Kentucky. 

Franco, who currently ranks No. 9 among North American jockeys with earnings of more than $8.8 million this year, has won 1,556 races in a career that began in 2013. Along with the Travers and Belmont, his top victories include the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Diana Stakes, Sword Dancer, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Fourstardave Handicap, Frizette Stakes, and Vosburgh Stakes, among others. 

Tagg has won 1,595 races in his distinguished career, including all three Triple Crown events. He won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes with Sackatoga's champion Funny Cide in 2003 and completed his career sweep of the American Classics when Tiz the Law won the Belmont in 2020. Along with Funny Cide and Tiz the Law, Tagg has trained millionaires Showing Up, Nobiz Like Shobiz, and Tale of Ekati. 

Knowlton has served as Sackatoga's operating manager since 1995. He has also contributed to the thoroughbred racing community in New York and nationally, serving as a member of the NTRA Jockey Insurance Working Group, as a member of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Future of Racing in New York State, and on New York State's Task Force on Retired Race Horses. He also played a leadership role in assisting the New York State Gaming Commission in organizing Aftercare Summits in Saratoga Springs in 2015 and 2016. Under Knowlton's leadership, Sackatoga Stable has consistently been a supporter of various aftercare organizations, including Old Friends at Cabin Creek and Equine Advocates.

Montgomery has been producing artwork associated with Saratoga Race Course's famed Travers Stakes since 1986. The annual Travers posters represent the longest continuing series of art featuring a single event by a single artist in racing history. Montgomery has worked as an art director for General Electric and Capital Region Magazine, as well as design editor for the Albany (N.Y.) Times Union. In 2008, he published the book “The History and Art of 25 Travers” along with writer Vic Zast. In 2015, his Travers series was featured in an exhibit at the National Museum of Racing, entitled Greg Montgomery: 30 years of the Travers. 

Montgomery's Travers poster series has been inspired by the rich history of the Travers Stakes, the first race contested on Saratoga Race Course's opening day on Aug. 2, 1864. Named in honor of William R. Travers, the first president of the Saratoga Association, the inaugural Travers Stakes was won by future Hall of Fame member Kentucky, a horse Travers owned in partnership. 

One of the most prestigious races in America, the Travers has been won by Thoroughbred immortals such as Hall of Famers Buckpasser, Damascus, Easy Goer, Eight Thirty, Hindoo, Holy Bull, Native Dancer, Man o' War, and Twenty Grand. A total of 24 Hall of Fame racehorses have won the Travers.

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The session, “Owners & Trainers,” was sponsored by West Point Thoroughbreds, Taylor Made Farm, and The Green Group. Moderated by Carolyn Conley, panelists included owners Len Green, D.J. Stable; Jack Knowlton, Sackatoga Stable; and Don Little Jr., Centennial Farms. They were joined by Mark Casse, who trains for D.J. Stable; Barclay Tagg, who trains for Sackatoga Stable; and Jimmy Jerkens, who trains for Centennial Farms.

Each member of the group discussed what makes a successful owner/trainer partnership and offered advice to new and prospective owners. Among the suggestions were to choose trainers who will make you a priority and know how to train the types of horses that you want to be racing, whether they are claiming horses or graded stakes horses.

“Try to find a trainer that you're important to and has time to talk to you,” Green said. “Being honest…everyone thinks that's for granted, but it isn't. You need to have common goals.”

“Horsemanship is a key element. I look for someone who doesn't have such a big stable that you're going to be lost,” Knowlton said.

The group also emphasized the importance of trainers who prioritize the welfare of the horses in their care, both on the racetrack and in terms of aftercare.

From the trainers' perspective, the group expressed appreciation for their current owners. They echoed the owners' sentiments of wanting honesty, integrity, and trust as well as owners who encourage them to give horses time off when necessary.

“For the most part, I like giving horses a break. It's something I like doing. You have to have owners who will let you do it,” said Casse.

Don Little pointed out that the racehorse ownership experience should be a positive one. “This is a fun investment. People need to look at this as entertainment.”

He also stressed the importance of aftercare.

“All owners should know that [aftercare] is part of your responsibility if you get in this business,” he said. “Don't just get in to be an owner and win big races; you've got to be conscious about the end result for those horses that aren't at the top level. It's a priority.”

The sixth session of the series, “Jockeys,” will be held on Tuesday, August 3, at 2 p.m. ET. It is sponsored by Airdrie Stud, Starlight Racing, and The Green Group. It will be moderated by former track announcer Tom Durkin, and panelists will include retired jockeys Donna Barton Brothers, Chris McCarron, and Gary Stevens.

All sessions will be recorded and made available to registered guests. There is no registration fee for the live or recorded virtual conference series, but registration is required. For more information about the owner conference series, including the full schedule of panels and registration, please visit ownerview.com/event/conference or contact Gary Falter at gfalter@jockeyclub.com.

OwnerView is a joint effort spearheaded by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to encourage ownership of Thoroughbreds and provide accurate information on aspects of ownership such as trainers, public racing syndicates, the process of purchasing and owning a Thoroughbred, racehorse retirement, and owner licensing.

The need for a central resource to encourage Thoroughbred ownership was identified in the comprehensive economic study of the sport that was commissioned by The Jockey Club and conducted by McKinsey & Company in 2011. The OwnerView site was launched in May 2012.

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Sofer, a Houston resident, received the diagnosis that he had leukemia in March 0f 2020, right about the time that Tiz the Law was emerging as one of the leading contenders for the GI Kentucky Derby. He began treatment immediately, undergoing chemotherapy seven days a week. He was let out of the hospital just in time to watch Tiz the Law win the GI Florida Derby, getting home about an hour before the race.

With Tiz the Law continuing to flourish, Safer had found something to take his mind off of his fight against leukemia.

“Tiz has been great because he gives me something else to think about,” Sofer told the TDN in September. “The Houston press has been really good to me. My story has been in the papers here quite a bit. They got all the clippings up in the unit at the hospital, so everybody there knows my story and everybody there is rooting for Tiz.”

After hearing the diagnosis, Sofer grew determined to attend the Derby. With his health beginning to improve, he would have met that goal, but decided not to attend because of the coronavirus outbreak.

“I am devastated,” said Jack Knowlton, the managing partner of Sackatoga. “He just loved the game. He was passionate about it. This is a big loss for Sackatoga and for me personally, He was one of the people I was closest to. We spent an awful lot of time together, particularly at Saratoga. He was just a great guy.”

Sofer was born in Queens and had been a lifelong fan before deciding to go into ownership. He bought a few horses on his own and went in on some others with the team at Hidden Brook Farm. He met Knowlton in 2008 and decided to give Sackatoga a try after watching the stable's Doc N Roll (Wheelaway) win the Cab Calloway S. for New York breds at Saratoga.

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As it turned out, just about everything.

So maybe that's why, during a dark time, this bay colt with the bright, white-blazed face was so easy to cheer for. During uncertain circumstances, the Sackatoga silks with the familiar connections brought a piece of near normalcy to the starting gate.

Even now, as he takes up stud duty at Ashford Stud, Tiz the Law's campaign will long be remembered as one piece of an unforgettable year in racing.

“No one is ever going to forget 2020,” said Ashford's Adrian Wallace. “It was a year in which everyone had been touched in some way or another by the pandemic, by loss. A horse like Tiz the Law, to have gone from the Holy Bull to the Florida Derby to the Belmont Stakes, and then who is ever going to forget the Travers and him running a gallant second in a Kentucky Derby in September? No one is ever going to forget this campaign because of how different it was.”

The fact that this horse was owned by a syndicate of racing fans, Wallace said, made his success all the more meaningful.

“Being owned by a syndicate, he was able to touch so many more people,” he said. “We've seen it when some of his previous owners have come to the farm to visit him. He generated a huge amount of excitement and a huge following. Even though they couldn't go to the races and watch him, [fans] will never forget watching the owners celebrate the Travers win at Saratoga.”

Bred by Twin Creeks Farm, Tiz the Law was a $110,000 yearling purchase for Sackatoga's Jack Knowlton at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred Sale.

After a winning debut and easy four-length romp in the GI Champagne S., the son of Constitution had already caught Ashford's attention.

“Tiz the Law stamped himself as a very exciting prospect early in his 2-year-old season,” Wallace said. “The Champagne is a race that, year after year, stamps itself as a stallion-making race. We know first-hand with the likes of Uncle Mo, Scat Daddy and Practical Joke all having won the Champagne. It separates the wheat from the chaff, so any horse that wins in New York at that time of year, we're certainly looking at.”

Following his definitive wins in the GIII Holy Bull S. and GI Florida Derby, Tiz the Law followed an odd Triple Crown trail as he took on the first leg of the series in a nine-furlong GI Belmont S. When jockey Manny Franco cued him while heading into the long Belmont stretch, the bay shifted gears to blow by his foes and become the first New York-bred to win the Belmont since 1882.

Then came the GI Runhappy Travers S., which was slated to run exactly one year after his winning debut at the Spa in 2019. Sent off as the 1-2 favorite, Tiz the Law raced three wide before pouncing on his tiring rivals at the far turn and geared down in the stretch to win by 5 ½ lengths to John Imbriale's call of, “Here he is, Saratoga's hometown hero, Tiz the Law.”

“Only one horse has gone faster since 1990, and that was Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) five years ago,” Wallace noted of the Travers victory. “It just shows how much ability the horse had-how much raw, natural talent. What made Tiz the Law so great was his huge ability to quicken off a high cruising speed. The Travers was one example of that and the Belmont was another. I think that's the key to any great horse, and it was the key to him.”

Arguments arose as to if this horse would be named a Triple Crown champion if he were to win the next two legs of the series. But the controversy died when Tiz the Law had to settle for second against Bob Baffert's eventual GI Breeders' Cup Classic champion Authentic (Into Mischief) in the Run for the Roses.

After a sixth-place finish in the Classic, Tiz the Law's connections were ready for a comeback in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. But after an X–ray revealed bone bruising, the decision was made for him to retire.

The four-time Grade I winner arrived at Ashford with earnings of over $2.7 million, running in the money in all but one of his career starts.

“For a very long period of time, he was right at the top of his generation,” Wallace said. “He was New York's home-bred hero and he really captured the hearts and minds of a lot of people in New York in a very troubling year. That's one of the reasons that, as a four-time Grade I winner, he really resonates with a lot of breeders and a lot of fans.”

Tiz the Law now gives breeders a unique opportunity as the first son of rising young sire Constitution (Tapit) to enter stud.

“It's no secret that Constitution is probably regarded as one of the most promising new sires in the business at the moment,” Wallace said. “Worldwide, he has already sired four Grade I winners, including three from Chile, and Tiz the Law is obviously his marquee horse here. Tiz the Law is a great embodiment of what Constitution has to offer.”

Tiz the Law is out of the Tiznow mare Tizfiz, winner of the 2009 GII San Gorgonio H. and a full-sister to Grade III winner and Grade I-placed Fury Kapcori. Her granddam is a half-sister to Favorite Trick (Phone Trick), who won Horse of the Year honors as a juvenile in 1997.

“It's a family replete with 2-year-old success,” Wallace noted. “Obviously Tiz the Law himself was a very good 2-year-old, so I think it's a pedigree that will offer people a lot of precocity and it will suit a wide array of broodmares here in this country.”

Wallace said the Coolmore team has kept busy since the 4-year-old's arrival as breeders have been out to see the new prospect, who will stand his first season for a $40,000 fee.

“Physically he's all about balance,” he said. “He's an exceptional mover, lots of quality and a lovely nature. A lovely hip and shoulder on him as well. The breeders who have come to see him over the last couple of weeks have been blown away.”

Tiz the Law joins the growing list of fan favorites at Ashford Stud alongside Triple Crown winners American Pharoah and Justify.

“What makes any horse special is the amount of people that they can bring into the sport,” Wallace said. “This sport, like any sport, needs heroes. We need storylines. Barclay Tagg has been around for a long time and we'll never forget his role with Sackatoga Stables and Funny Cide (Distorted Humor). To come back with the same owner-trainer combination with a New York-bred, I think that really drew people into the sport. He's a stunning individual and we couldn't be prouder to stand him here.”

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Hopeful because of the comment made at the time by Jack Knowlton, managing partner of Tiz the Law's owner, Sackatoga Stable, that the partnership was “excited to see what Tiz the Law has in store on the track for the remainder of his 3-year-old year and beyond…”

Skeptical because I know what kind of pressure stallion operations like Coolmore can place on owners and trainers when they get their tentacles into a top prospect. And let's face it: Coolmore's emphasis is on acquiring stallion prospects with early racing success. Only two horses on the sizable stallion roster at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky., raced as 4-year-olds after winning Grade 1 races at 2 or 3: Mo Town and Maximum Security.

So when I saw the news release from Coolmore stating that Tiz the Law had been retired from racing “on veterinary advice” and with no further explanation, my hopefulness turned to flat-out skepticism. I'd seen this movie before.

I thought it was too good to be true that Tiz the Law would race at 4 after it was announced @coolmore bought the breeding rights. pic.twitter.com/Ebt2zi478l

— Ray Paulick (@raypaulick) December 30, 2020

After seeing the Tweet, Knowlton called to assure me this was not some manufactured excuse to shuffle Tiz the Law into his next career before the 2021 breeding season begins.

“We're crushed,” Knowlton said, saying he called Sackatoga's 30-some partners with the bad news. “Believe me, nobody wanted him running next year more than me. We were so looking forward to the Pegasus (Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., on Jan. 23).”

He added that the race he really wanted to win this coming year was Saratoga's G1 Whitney at his hometown track in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Knowlton called Tiz the Law's G1 Travers win at Saratoga his personal highlight of the stable star's 3-year-old season.

Knowlton said Robin Smullen, assistant to trainer Barclay Tagg, “sensed something wasn't right” after she took Tiz the Law out for a routine gallop Tuesday morning at Palm Meadows training center. He was scheduled to breeze on Jan. 3 in what would have been his sixth workout since a disappointing sixth-place finish as the favorite in the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

“I got the call from Barclay that I always dread,” Knowlton said. “Our vet took X-rays and found there was significant bone bruising in the lower part of the cannon bone in a front leg. We had another vet take a look at it and both said the same thing: 'You really don't have any choice.'

“I'm really thankful that Robin caught it when she did.”

We're rarely privy to stallion contracts between a stud farm and a horse's owner, a major exception being Coolmore's deal to buy the breeding interests of American Pharoah from Ahmed Zayat. That contract became an exhibit in a lawsuit filed against Zayat by a lender.

The stallion deal, signed in January of the eventual Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup Classic winner's 3-year-old season, spelled out the retirement plans for the horse, specifically saying it could be no later than Nov. 30, 2015. Prior to then, the contract stated, “In the event that the horse is under performing or is injured, a panel of Ahmed Zayat, Paul Shanahan (a Coolmore associate) and (trainer) Bob Baffert will meet to discuss and decide whether to modify or terminate the horse's racing career. Each person shall be entitled to one vote. Any decision to modify or terminate the horse's racing career will be made upon the affirmative vote of at least two persons.”

Knowlton said he negotiated the contract to ensure Tiz the Law had the opportunity race at 4. He said there were contingencies for himself, Tagg and an Ashford representative to discuss what to do if the horse went off form.

But the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. That's especially true when you're dealing with a finely tuned athlete like a Thoroughbred racehorse.

Tiz the Law goes off to stud with six wins from nine starts over two racing seasons, including four Grade 1 victories. He was defeated in his final two starts, beaten on the square by Authentic to be second in the G1 Kentucky Derby and then failing to hit the board for the only time in the Breeders' Cup.

He was in good hands throughout his career, trained by someone whose “numbers” may not fit the criteria for some Hall of Fame voters but whose wisdom and old school horsemanship have earned the respect of his peers.

Tiz the Law's owners are in the game for the fun of racing, not the business of breeding like the corporate stables that now dominate – a band of Davids competing against an army of Goliaths. Like kids on a Ferris wheel, they wanted to go around one more time.

I remain skeptically hopeful that someday soon we'll see another horse who was a Grade 1 winner at 2 and a Classic winner at 3 that will be pointed for and complete a full campaign at 4.

But I'm not holding my breath.

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“From day one when he broke his maiden at Saratoga, we have been watching Tiz the Law closely and he has everything you look for in a stallion prospect,” said Coolmore America manager Dermot Ryan. “He has an outstanding race record, he's a very good-looking individual and he boasts a strong pedigree. Barclay Tagg, Robin Smullen and their team have done a fantastic job with him and we are also grateful to Jack Knowlton and his partners in Sackatoga Stable for letting us be a part of him.”

“The entire Tiz the Law team is deeply disappointed that Tiz the Law will be unable to race as a 4-year-old as planned,” stated Jack Knowlton, operating manager of Sackatoga Stable. “He has provided the 35 owners a unique opportunity to compete and succeed at the highest level of thoroughbred racing. His impressive victory in the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga Race Course was particularly rewarding for the Saratoga based stable. Sackatoga Stable is looking forward to the next chapter of his career as a stallion.”

“While it is unfortunate that Tiz's racing career has been cut short, we have been extremely fortunate and blessed to have had him in our lives”, said trainer Barclay Tagg. “Robin and I were able to pick him out and train him to win the Grade 1 Champagne as a 2-year-old and three Grade 1 races (Florida Derby, Belmont Stakes and Travers) as well as run 2nd in the Kentucky Derby this year. He has taken his owners and Barclay Tagg Racing Stable to places that most owners and trainers only dream about. We look forward to his career as a stallion with Ashford Stud.”

But for Ashford stallion American Pharoah, Tiz the Law's sire Constitution would have been champion freshman sire and champion second-crop sire. Off the back of this success, Constitution's fee has risen from $25,000 to $85,000 for the coming season. On the distaff side, Tiz the Law's dam Tizfiz was the winner of seven races including the G2 San Gorgonio Handicap at Santa Anita (now named the Robert J. Frankel Stakes)​ carrying top weight of 118 pounds.

Tiz the Law's fee will be announced shortly and he will be available for inspection at Ashford starting Monday, Jan 4.

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