Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
By Sarah Mace
New Yorkers looking for something to cheer about in the waning days of March 2020, need look no further than Sackatoga Stable’s magnificent blaze-faced 3-year-old Tiz the Law. The New York-bred Constitution colt cemented his status as the top sophomore in the country Saturday after winning the Grade 1, $750,000 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park after a perfect stalking trip under jockey Manny Franco.
From the win Tiz the Law picked up 100 more qualifying points on “Road to the Kentucky Derby,” bringing his total to 122 and setting him atop the leaderboard. Recently, of course, that “Road” became four months longer than it would be in ordinary days. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Churchill Downs has rescheduled the 2020 Run for the Roses from the first Saturday in May (May 2) to the first Saturday in September (September 5). Provided all goes smoothly in the interim, Tiz the Law will be there.
Trained by Barclay Tagg, Tiz the Law brought multiple assets to the table to face his eight rivals in the Florida Derby: gate speed, tactical speed, a willingness to rate and athleticism. He and Franco have also been a good fit ever since last fall when they rallied to win the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont by four lengths.
Bet down to the 7-5 post time favorite, Tiz the Law was, on paper, pitted against the speedy Ete Indien, the second betting choice at odds of 5-2. Tiz the Law beat Ete Indien by three lengths in the Grade 3 Holy Bull on February 1 after his rival set the pace. By design, he trained for 56 days straight through to the Florida Derby. Ete Indien, however, took a huge step forward by competing in the interim, scoring a stunning gate-to-wire eight-plus length victory in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.
Exiting readily from four-hole, Tiz the Law and Franco began immediately to execute on the game plan. Franco expected that Ete Indien would try to clear the field from post eight, but wanted to make sure Tiz the Law stayed in the clear for running room. In fact, longshot Shiveree took control early from post two, Ete Indien set up at his flank in second, while Tiz the Law took up a stalking position in third outside the early leaders.
Coglianese Photos/Nikki Bernstein
Ete Indien and Shiveree continued to vie through three-quarters of a mile, clocking splits of 23.75, 47.95 and 1:11.94. Tiz the Law then began his serious bid in the far turn, ranging up alongside the duelers three-wide, engaging them in the bend and emerging with a slight advantage as they straightened away.
Set down for the drive under a confident Franco, Tiz the Law answered the call, lengthened his stride and drew off to a much-the-best 4 1/4-length victory. After one mile in 1:36.79, the final time for nine furlongs was 1:50 flat.
Overachiever Shivaree, who was let go at odds of 80-1, crossed the line second, while Ete Indien had to settle for third, three-quarters of a length further back and a neck ahead of Gouverneur Morris, who completed the superfecta.
Franco said, “I want to give all the credit to the horse. [Tiz the Law] broke out of there perfectly, like a shot, and I was able to let the horse on the outside clear me and I ended up in a great position. I sat third and I just thought about waiting for the right moment, and I was happy by the five-sixteenths pole. All the time when I called on him a little bit, he was there for me.”
Jack Knowlton of Sackatoga Stable, who couldn’t be in attendance due to health and safety protocols that prohibited spectators, even owners, from attending Saturday’s races, said on behalf of his ownership group, “All we know is that we’ve got a horse that’s very special, and it’s pretty exciting for us. Unfortunately. none of us could be there today. We were all watching it on TV from coast to coast.” Knowlton earlier told hosts on FS1 that, otherwise, Tiz the Law’s cheering section at the track would have been 70-80 strong.
Coglianese Photos/Derby Glass
Overall, Tiz the Law is only three-quarters of a length shy of perfection in five career starts. Winner of his August 8 Saratoga debut, a 6 1/2 sprint against state-breds, by 4 1/2 lengths, Tiz the Law went straight on to the Grade 1 Champagne, where he parlayed a stumbling start and pocketed trip into another stunning win after agilely angling out in the stretch.
After passing on a cross-country trip to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, in his final start of the year Tiz the Law finished third, three-quarters of a length behind the winner in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club. In the contest run over sloppy going, he was covered up and waylaid in traffic which robbed him of his final punch. In 2020 Tiz the Law has been flawless, winning the Holy Bull and Florida Derby by a combined 7 1/4 lengths.
Tiz the Law was bred by Twin Creeks Farm and foaled at Sequel Stallions New York. Knowlton purchased him at the 2018 Saratoga New York-bred preferred yearling sale from the Sequel consignment for $110,000. From four wins and a third he has earned $945,300 in his young career.
Tiz the Law’s dam, Kentucky-bred Tizfiz, is a winner of four stakes on turf with a graded placing on dirt. She was purchased by Twin Creeks Farm for $125,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.
Tiz the Law is the mare’s second foal to earn black type. Awestruck, by Tapit, who was a $525,000 yearling, has collected four stakes placings to date. A full sister to graded stakes winner Fury Kapcori, Tizfiz also issues from the female family of 1997 Horse of the Year Favorite Trick (Phone Trick). She has a juvenile filly by Mission Impazible named Angel Oak, an unnamed yearling by the same sire and was bred back to Constitution in 2019.
