Tiz the Bomb Headed to Kentucky Derby

Magdalena Racing's Tiz the Bomb , who romped in the April 2 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), will be aimed for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), according to trainer Ken McPeek.

 "He is obviously a very talented horse that will have to overcome some things he's never had to overcome before, but his race the other day was ultra impressive," said McPeek of Tiz the Bomb's 2 1/4-length win in the Jeff Ruby Steaks on the Tapeta all-weather surface at Turfway Park.

Tiz the Bomb has done most of his best racing on turf or all-weather surfaces, though he did break his maiden by 14 1/4 lengths on Ellis Park's main track in his second career start. From there, he switched to turf and scored consecutive wins in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile Stakes and Castle & Key Bourbon Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland. He ended his juvenile campaign with a second Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T).

McPeek sent the son of Hit It a Bomb   to Gulfstream Park for his sophomore debut in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) on the dirt but he finished a lackluster seventh.

"I was confident going into the Holy Bull that he would run a significant race but it just didn't happen," McPeek said. "I don't know if it was the surface, or the weather, or the situation. He had been working well over it and but just didn't race over it."

Tiz the Bomb bounced back in the March 5 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway, where he kicked from near the back of the pack to take command in the stretch and hold off a fast-closing Stolen Base .

"He sure is good right now," McPeek said of taking another chance with the colt on the dirt at Churchill Downs. The Jeff Ruby Steaks win awarded Tiz the Bomb 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, where as of April 4 he ranks third with 110 points.

Spendthrift Farm's Hit It a Bomb, a son of War Front  , excelled on turf. He won a stakes in Ireland before being sent to the 2015 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland where he won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Tiz a Bomb's dam, Tiz the Key brings a mix of dirt and turf influences into the graded winner's pedigree as the daughter of dual Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Tiznow and out of turf stakes-placed winner Cabbage Key. Tiz the Key won on dirt and turf and is a half sister to King of Dreams, who won a stakes on dirt and was second in a turf stakes both at Gulfstream.

Also in McPeek's barn is Smile Happy , the winner of last year's Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) and runner-up in the Feb. 19 Risen Star Stakes presented by Lamarque Ford (G2), who is headed for the April 9 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1). The son of Claiborne Farm's Runhappy   is expected to arrive at Keeneland the evening of April 5 from Gulfstream.

McPeek also conditions Dash Attack , a stakes winner by Munnings  , who is being aimed for the April 16 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3), and grade 1 winner Rattle N Roll , by Connect  , who will make his next start in either the Lexington or the April 23 Oaklawn Stakes.