Tiz the Bomb Takes Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile
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Photo: Coady Photography
Tiz the Bomb wins the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile Stakes at Ellis Park
After spending most of the race in the middle of the pack, Tiz the Bomb turned for home in the middle of the stretch and took over with a strong run to finish first in the $497,500 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile Stakes Sept. 6 at Kentucky Downs. The Hit It a Bomb colt, owned by Phoenix Thoroughbred, rushed up to the lead just moments before the wire to finish three-quarters of a length ahead of late-running Kiss the Sky .
Brian Hernandez Jr. piloted the 6-1 winner, who finished the mile in 1:35.83 on firm turf. A $2 winning ticket paid $14.20.
"He ran well today, the first time on the grass," Hernandez said. "He put us in the spot and traveled the whole way around there looking like a winner, and he got the job done. They've been bragging on him over at the barn about how well he's been working, and they were kind of tipping their hands about this performance. (Jockey) Robby Albarado has been working this horse in the mornings, and he said that all of the sudden he turned the corner going the right way, and he showed it today."
Tiz the Bomb broke first from the gate but was quickly surpassed by Play Action Pass and Call Me Gusto , who dueled through six furlongs in fractions of :22.80, :46.64, and 1:11.34. Kiss the Sky, who was the favorite at 2-1, rallied and fought past Play Action Pass to finish second by a half-length over that rival.
This Juvenile Mile triumph marks Tiz the Bomb's second win in three starts and increased his earnings to $326,291. He was unplaced in his debut May 14 on the dirt at Churchill Downs but came around in his second race, an off-the-turf maiden event at Ellis Park, where he widened his lead but was still in hand to win by 14 1/4 lengths.
Bred by Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky, the youngster was bought for $330,000 by trainer Kenny McPeek, agent, from Eaton Sales' consignment at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase. His dam, the Tiznow mare Tiz the Key, has produced five foals, two of which are winners. She has a yearling filly who is by Free Drop Billy , as well as a 2021 colt by Mor Spirit . The mare was bred to Gormley for 2022.
"He's got a license to be a good one," McPeek told Kentucky Downs media via text. "We're thrilled with the way he ran. May return to dirt at Keeneland in the (Oct. 9) Breeders' Futurity (G1)."
Video: Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile S. (BT)
Cox Trainees 1-2 in Juvenile Fillies
Turnerloose wins the Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Kentucky Downs
The favored Brad Cox entry didn't fail to disappoint in the $500,000 Aristocrat Juvenile Fillies Stakes as stablemates Turnerloose and Yin Yang led the charge up the hill to finish 1-2 at Kentucky Downs.
Ike and Dawn Thrash's Turnerloose, despite making her second career start, handled herself like a seasoned pro in Monday's race, stamping herself as a legitimate contender for the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) at Del Mar.
Picked up for $50,000 from the Woodford Thoroughbreds consignment at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Turnerloose notched a workmanlike victory first time out July 16 at Ellis Park going a mile on the grass. Returning to those same conditions in the Juvenile Fillies and partnered again by Florent Geroux, the Nyquist filly broke a step slow but quickly moved to challenge Aug. 15 Runhappy Ellis Park Debutante Stakes captress Verylittlecents for the early lead. The pair matched strides through a :22.18 first quarter and :46.07 half-mile before Geroux turned the gears on Turnerloose with three furlongs left to run. Fellow Cox runner Yin Yang, who stumbled at the start, launched a late bid in deep stretch but never seriously threatened Turnerloose, who bounded under the wire a five-length winner.
"(Turnherloose) was pulling on me pretty much all of the race, she wanted to go," said Geroux. "So by the turn, she just kept on going. She was on a mission—she just wanted to take it to them, which was great."
Verylittlecents, 7 1/4 lengths behind Yin Yang, held on for third to complete the trifecta.
The 2-1 favorite, Turnerloose paid $6 to win. She ran the mile on a firm turf course in 1:36.19.
"Both (Turnerloose and Yin Yang) are very good fillies," said Cox's assistant trainer Jorge Abrego. "I said last week that I liked both fillies, that I thought I'd go 1-2 in the race. (Turnerloose) ran well. Yin Yang ran a very good second, so it was very good day for the team."
Bred by William Humphries and Altair Farms in Kentucky, Turnerloose is the first stakes winner out of the unraced A.P. Indy mare Goaltending. The mare produced an Arrogate filly this year and was bred to City of Light for 2022.
Turnerloose increased her earnings to $331,300 with her Juvenile Fillies victory and Abrego indicated a start at Keeneland could be next on the agenda for the undefeated filly.
"This was big for her," said Abrego. "Now she's a stakes winner. Now is the time to look for a graded stakes. We'll see how she is tomorrow, and if everything is good, maybe get her ready for Keeneland."