Tiz the Bomb, Averly Jane Shine on Keeneland Turf
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Tiz the Bomb captures the Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland
Breaking through the starting gate early did not stop Phoenix Thoroughbred's Tiz the Bomb from being first to the finish line in the $200,000 Castle & Key Bourbon Stakes (G2T).
After getting about a furlong down the stretch, the 2-year-old Hit It a Bomb colt was jogged back to the starting gate and reloaded. Ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., Tiz the Bomb shook off any concern from his connections and came through as the 5-2 favorite.
"It's not a good omen, typically, and yeah, it makes a trainer nervous when it happens," trainer Kenny McPeek said, "but Brian did a great job wrangling him up and keeping him under control. It's worse if he comes off or something like that. This horse has got a lot of talent and we're fortunate to have a guy like Brian who handles things on the oval. He does a great job."
"We were ready, we were set up, and as the last horse was walking in," Hernandez said. "I turned his head to set him to where we could leave the gate in good order. When he did he got a little anxious and just charged forward one step and the gate popped open. Most of the time when that happens horses have a hard time recovering from it, but when we finally reloaded and he left the gate in good order the second time, we were able to get around the first turn in good order. I was really confident in him, and he took care of it from there."
Tiz the Bomb broke from post 12 of 14 and settled off the pace in fourth. Heaven Street set the pace with fractions of :22.94 and :47.54, and was down to a head lead as he ran six furlongs in 1:12.86. Tiz the Bomb, back in fifth with 2 3/4 lengths to make up, turned six wide into the stretch before picking off rivals. He completed 1 1/16 miles on a turf course labeled as good in 1:43.69, paying $7.80 on a $2 win ticket.
Along with the victory, Tiz the Bomb earned a fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) Nov. 5 at Del Mar.
McPeek had considered Saturday's Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) on dirt at Keeneland for Tiz the Bomb, but entered him in the Bourbon as Phoenix had a horse with trainer Todd Pletcher in the Futurity—runner-up Double Thunder . McPeek won the Breeders' Futurity with Lucky Seven Stable's Rattle N Roll .
"I think for this horse definitely the (one-mile) Breeders' Cup Juvenile (Turf) is ideal," McPeek said of Tiz the Bomb. "Everything happens for a reason. You could have made the case that Tiz the Bomb could have run yesterday for sure, and Rattle N Roll—of course, they're apples and oranges. It's a high-level problem we've got right now. We're just going to enjoy this, relish the moment, and make those decisions as we get closer."
Tiz the Bomb held off late-running Stolen Base by three-quarters of a length. The runner-up finished a half-length in front of third-placed Credibility .
Mike Maker, who trains Stolen Base for Three Diamonds Farm and Deuce Greathouse, said, "I would think the Breeders' Cup is still on the table. He ran a good race. He was a little further back than I expected but he finished strong."
Tiz the Bomb has won three straight races from four total starts. He increased his earnings Sunday to $447,841.
McPeek, as agent, purchased the colt for $330,000 out of Eaton Sales' consignment to the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Selected Yearlings Showcase.
Tiz the Bomb was bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm out of the Tiznow mare Tiz the Key, dam of two winners from three starters. Tiz the Key has since produced a yearling filly by Free Drop Billy and a weanling colt by Mor Spirit . She was bred to Gormley for 2022.
Video: Castle & Key Bourbon S. (G2T)
Averly Jane Remains Undefeated
Hat Creek Racing's Averly Jane rolled her record to a perfect 4-for-4 when defeating males to win the $200,000 Indian Summer Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select by three lengths.
Averly Jane leads throughout the Indian Summer Stakes at Keeneland
Trained by Wesley Ward, the juvenile Midshipman filly came home one spot ahead of stablemate Kaufymaker . The winner earned a fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T) Nov. 5 at Del Mar.
Averly Jane led throughout under jockey Tyler Gaffalione. She posted fractions of :21.64 and :44.50, drew off in the stretch, and was geared down at the wire as she completed the 5 1/2 furlongs on the good turf in 1:02.65.
The Indian Summer was Averly Jane's first start on grass.
"It doesn't really matter (whether she runs on dirt or turf). She's just a quality filly," Gaffalione said. "She's got a tremendous amount of speed, and she just keeps going. She's one of the fastest (out of the gate) I've ever been on. She almost throws you in the back seat. She's a lot of fun."
Kaufymaker, also a filly, got up by a neck over Circle Back Jack in the nine-horse field. The winner paid $3.80 as the favorite.
Averly Jane was bred by the University of Kentucky out of the Richter Scale mare Sh Sh Shakin' and is a half sister to the stakes winner Chattel. The latest foal out of Sh Sh Shakin' is a yearling colt by Brody's Cause . The mare was bred to World of Trouble for 2022.
An earner of $313,140, Averly Jane was a $35,000 purchase from the university's Maine Chance Farm consignment at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale.