Tiz the Law Returns to Palm Meadows Work Tab

Two weeks after a commanding victory in the March 28 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park, it was back to work for Tiz the Law on April 11 at Palm Meadows Training Center.

Sackatoga Stable's 3-year-old son of Constitution  breezed an easy half-mile in :52 4/5 on the main track at Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, where the bay colt trained by Barclay Tagg is stabled.

"He was just stretching his legs," said Jack Knowlton, Sackatoga's managing partner. "We obviously don't have anything on the horizon, but we have to keep him in training. That's his first work back. In a normal world, he'd work back in 10 days, 11 days. We don't want to go backwards on him, but we obviously have no idea where we're going to run."

With 122 qualifying points, Tiz the Law ranks first among prospects for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), which was postponed from May 2 to Sept. 5 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a typical year, the Kentucky Derby is run five weeks after the Florida Derby.

Tiz the Law is unbeaten as a 3-year-old. He won the Feb. 1 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) by three lengths at Gulfstream before his 4 1/4-length score in the Florida Derby.

"The good news for us is, he won two races down here off eight-week layoffs, so Barclay can get them ready for a race," Knowlton said. "He'll keep him in training—not hard training, but something to keep him fit and then tighten up when we know we potentially have a race for him."

A winner of $945,300 in five starts, Tiz the Law suffered his only loss when third in the slop in the Nov. 30 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) in his juvenile finale, which followed back-to-back wins, including the Oct. 5 Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park.

Knowlton said even without a defined target, Tiz the Law will likely remain on his typical pattern of working every seven days.

"That's kind of his normal schedule," Knowlton said. "We're not looking to tighten the screws on him by any means, just let him stretch his legs. He's working by himself. When we get to the point where we have a race to target, he'll go in company and let him really work. There's no reason to do that now. Just keep him fit and happy."