Tiz the Law Breezes Toward Classic at Keeneland

An early arrival at Keeneland ahead of the Breeders' Cup World Championships appears to be paying dividends for Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) winner Tiz the Law.

Working on same the track where he'll compete in the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in a week, Sackatoga Stables' son of Constitution  stayed right on schedule, cutting through the chilly morning air with a crisp five-furlong move that satisfied veteran trainer Barclay Tagg.

"It was exactly what I'd asked," Tagg said. "I asked her to go as close to :59 as she could—I didn't care if it was a hair in front or a hair in back as long as it was close. My people had it in :59 flat and the clockers had it in :59 1/5."

Tiz out for his final breeze over the @keenelandracing track before the @BreedersCup next Saturday. He went 5f in 59.20. pic.twitter.com/ib5ALW4rqi

— Sackatoga Stable LLC (@sackatogastable) October 31, 2020

It goes in the books as :59 1/5 and closes out a stretch of six pre-Breeders' Cup workouts since Tiz the Law finished second to Authentic in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs. The Derby snapped a four-race win streak that included wins in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes, and Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1).

While the Derby, Travers, and Belmont Stakes were fairly spread out, it still marked a challenging trio of races in terms of competition and distance. Exercise rider Heather Smullen said coming out of Churchill, Tiz the Law was a little stiff behind, but in recent weeks he has completely returned to his smooth running. 

After the Derby, Tiz the Law initially returned to Tagg's barn at Belmont Park where the bay worked a half-mile Sept. 25, followed with two five-furlong moves Oct. 2 and 10 before stretching out to six furlongs Oct. 16. Then Tiz the Law, Tagg, Smullen, and a pony who raced as Storm On the Moon ventured to Keeneland where the four-time grade 1 winner again breezed six furlongs, completing that Oct. 23 move in 1:13 1/5.

On Saturday Tiz the Law worked after the break when the track reopened at 8 a.m., recording the third-fastest breeze of 27 at the distance.

"He's real good right now and aggressive; so that's what you want," Smullen said.

Tagg thinks Tiz the Law didn't like the surface at Churchill and he likes that the Derby will be his first race off a nine-week break.

"Obviously he didn't like the racetrack over at Churchill. He didn't like it as a 3-year-old, he didn't like it as a 2-year-old—the only two races he lost," Tagg said. "We're giving him two months between the Derby and this race. I didn't want to run him in the Preakness (G1), particularly because there was no shot to win the Triple Crown. He'd had his races spaced nicely but it'd still been nine months of racing." 

The breeze topped a steady day of Breeders' Cup workers at the Lexington track that included top Turf Sprint (G1T) contender Leinster completing a half-mile in :49 2/5, working around the dogs on a turf course rated as good.

"It's deep out there and he doesn't like it," Arnold said after the work. "It's not going to be deep next Saturday."

Campaigned by the partnership of Amy Dunne, Brenda Miley, Westrock Stables, and Jean Wilkinson, Leinster will enter the Turf Sprint off back-to-back grade 2 stakes wins sprinting on the course. In July the 5-year-old son of Majestic Warrior won the Shakertown Stakes and he won the Woodford Stakes Presented by TVG Oct. 3.

Spinaway Stakes (G1) winner Vequist (Juvenile Fillies, G1) breezed four furlongs in :47 1/5 for New York-based trainer Butch Reid Jr., who said he likes when he can get a work over the track of an upcoming race.

"I think a work over the track is very important and that is why we came when we did," Reid said. "She had three or four good gallops and the work was fine."

Third-place Preakness Stakes finisher Jesus' Team (Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile, G1) completed a half-mile in :48 2/5 for trainer Jose Francisco D'Angelo.

A trio of horses pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup from the barn of John Sadler completed moves. Last year's $1 Million TVG Pacific Classic (G1) Stakes winner Higher Power  breezed five furlongs in :58 4/5 toward the Classic. Preparing for a start in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), recent Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) runner-up Ollie's Candy completed six furlongs in 1:11. Turf Sprint hopeful Chaos Theory blitzed four furlongs in :47, second-fastest of 45 moves at the distance on the main track.

Zenyatta Stakes (G2) winner Harvest Moon prepared for her Distaff start with a five-furlong move in 1:01 under jockey Flavien Prat for trainer Simon Callaghan.

"Flavien was very, very happy (with the work). I got her in a minute and four-fifths," said Callaghan, who arrived in Lexington Wednesday night from his Southern California base. "She has settled in nicely and it looks like she handled the track well."

Also, Kaleem Shah's undefeated Madone (Juvenile Fillies Turf, G1T) worked five furlongs in company with American Tattoo in 1:01 2/5 for Callaghan. 

Wesley Ward breezed several runners at five furlongs around the dogs on a course rated as good in Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore America (G1T) hopeful Outadore (1:07 3/5), Juvenile Fillies Turf hopeful Campanelle (1:08), as well as Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T) hopefuls Golden Pal (1:05 1/5) and After Five (1:05).

Ward said Golden Pal continues to excel off his Aug. 21 victory in the Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

"Every work has been an eye-opener since he started his career right up to today and his last breeze," Ward said.

Trainer Brendan Walsh had a trio of Breeders' Cup hopefuls work in Midnight Sands going a half-mile in :47 1/5 in preparation for the Dirt Mile, Turf Sprint contender Extravagent Kid (half-mile :48 1/5), and Into Mystic (Turf Sprint) going four furlongs in :48 1/5.

"The rider was pretty much motionless the whole way (on Extravagant Kid)," Walsh said. "That was the kind of work you like to see going into a race. He did it well within himself. He gives me all the signs that he is coming into the race the way we like. This year for whatever reason he seems to be working better." 

Working half-miles for trainer Chad Brown were Peter Brant's Raging Bull (:48 1/5) and Klaravich Stables' Front Run the Fed (:48 1/5) for the FanDuel Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T) and Turf Sprint, respectively.

Dirt Mile hopeful True Timber breezed four furlongs in :50 for trainer Jack Sisterson, who also sent out Bon Raison (Sprint, G1) for a half-mile in 49 4/5.

Trainer Valorie Lund sent out her recent Indian Summer Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select Bodenheimer for a half-mile breeze in :47 4/5 as he prepares for a run in the Juvenile Turf Sprint. 

Cypress Creek and Arnold Bennewith's Keepmeinmind (:48) and Dreamer's Disease (:48 2/5, out five-eighths in 1:00 4/5) worked separate half-miles for trainer Robertino Diodoro in preparation for the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1).

Japanese runners Jasper Prince (Sprint ), owned by Kazuo Kato, and Naoya Fujii's Pingxiang (Dirt Mile) worked three furlongs in :37 and :36 2/5, respectively, for trainer Hideyuki Mori.

Michael and Jules Iavarone, Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Craig and Josie Arntz, Donald Durando, and Jerry McClanahan's Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) contender Lady Prancealot worked a half-mile in :49 1/5 and galloped out five-eighths in 1:02 1/5 under Julien Leparoux for trainer Richard Baltas.

"She works on dirt all the time at home in California and I imagine the turf was a little soft this morning," said Aimee Dollase, assistant to Baltas.