Tiz the Law Named 2019 New York-Bred Horse of the Year

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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Tiz the Law pulls clear to win the Champagne Stakes by four lengths at Belmont Park

Multiple grade 1 winner Tiz the Law was remotely crowned the 2019 New York-Bred Horse of the Year April 6 by the New York Thoroughbred Breeders.

The NYTB was unable to host the annual awards banquet at the Saratoga National Golf Club in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., as originally planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but forged ahead with divisional title announcements Monday, with the backing of their sponsor, the New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund, and partners. The 2019 New York-bred champions were announced on the NYTB's website and social media channels, and a microsite was launched to host a video presentation produced by PM Advertising featuring the top performances of all nominees and showcasing the winners.

Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law, a blaze-faced son of Constitution , was named the 2019 Horse of the Year on the strength of his juvenile campaign, which was highlighted by a victory in the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. Tiz the Law was also the unanimous choice of voters as the 2019 champion 2-year-old male. At 3, Tiz the Law is 2-for-2, winning the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) and Curlin Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park. He sits atop the leaderboard for entry into the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), rescheduled for Sept. 5.

Chester and Mary Broman were named the state's top breeders in 2019 for the fourth straight year and seventh time overall. The couple previously won the award as outstanding breeders in 2004, 2011, 2014, and 2016-18. In 2019 the Bromans, whose name is synonymous with New York breeding excellence, won 82 races, 13 stakes, and earned $3,775,911. The couple is represented by no fewer than four divisional champions in 2019, led by dual New York champion Pauseforthecause, who took home the hardware for champion older dirt female and champion female sprinter.

Linda Rice was the top trainer of New York-breds in 2019, an honor she received six times previously in the last decade (2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017). Last year Rice won 76 races with New York-breds, collected seven New York-bred stakes wins, and earned $4,234,018. She trains Newly Minted, the Broman-bred 2019 champion 3-year-old filly.

Jockey Manny Franco finished the year with the most New York-bred wins and earnings, breaking a six-year streak when one or the other of the Ortiz brothers took home the hardware (Jose in 2014-15 and Irad, Jr. in 2013 and 2016-18). Franco compiled 94 New York-bred wins, won seven stakes on Empire State-breds, and earned $6,346,925. Franco is the regular rider of Tiz the Law, aboard for every start after the colt's winning Saratoga Race Course debut.

The 2019 New York-Bred Horse of the Year and all divisional champions were chosen by a ballot of New York turf writers, handicappers, chart callers, and racing analysts conducted by NYTB.

A Commemorative Awards Program, written and produced by ST Publishing, the team behind the Saratoga Special and This is Horse Racing, is in the mail to all NYTB members and currently available on thisishorseracing.com.

New York's 2019 honorees:

New York-Bred Horse of the Year & Champion 2-Year-Old Male

Tiz the Law (Constitution—Tizfiz, by Tiznow )

Breeder: Twin Creeks Farm

Owner: Sackatoga Stable

Trainer: Barclay Tagg

Champion 2-Year-Old Filly

Critical Value (Bodemeister —See the Forest, by Forestry)

Breeder: Marshall Gramm and Clay Sanders

Owner: Ten Strike Racing

Trainer: Jeremiah Englehart

Champion 3-Year-Old Male

Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown —Marilyn Monroan, by Tapit )

Breeder: Hot Pink Stables and Sand Dollar Stables

Owner: Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable

Trainer: Mike Maker

Champion 3-Year-Old Filly

Newly Minted (Central Banker —Newbie, by Bernardini )

Breeder: Chester and Mary Broman

Owner: Beach Haven Thoroughbreds

Trainer: Linda Rice

Champion Older Dirt Male

Mr. Buff (Friend Or Foe —Speightful Affair, by Speightstown )

Breeder: Chester and Mary Broman

Owner: Chester Broman Sr. and Mary Broman

Trainer: John Kimmel

Champion Older Dirt Female and Champion Female Sprinter

Pauseforthecause (Giant's Causeway—Spritely, by Touch Gold)

Breeder: Chester and Mary Broman

Owner: Chester Broman Sr. and Mary Broman

Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin

Champion Turf Male

Gucci Factor (Gio Ponti —Shoo In, by Dynaformer)

Breeder: Highclere

Owner: Castleton Lyons

Trainer: Christophe Clement

Champion Turf Female

Fifty Five (Get Stormy —Soave, by Brahms)

Breeder: Empire Equines

Owner: Peter Brant

Trainer: Chad Brown

Champion Male Sprinter

Build to Suit (Dominus —Aspen Mountain, by Chief Seattle)

Breeder: Spendthrift Farm

Owner: Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence

Trainer: Chad Brown

New York Broodmare of the Year

Tizfiz (Tiznow—Gin Running, by Go For Gin), dam of Tiz the Law

New York-Bred Trainer of the Year

Linda Rice

New York-Bred Jockey of the Year

​​​​​​Manuel Franco

New York Breeder of the Year

Chester and Mary Broman