Tiz a Slam Takes Dominion Day on the Front End
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Photo: Michael Burns
Tiz a Slam wins the Dominion Day Stakes at Woodbine
The results had not been pretty for Chiefswood Stable's homebred Tiz a Slam leading up to the $125,000 Dominion Day Stakes (G3) at Woodbine.
Following his first graded score in the Ontario Derby (G3) in October, the 4-year-old Tiznow colt hit the board just once in four stakes tries. Upon returning to Woodbine for the May 26 Eclipse Stakes (G2), he finished a non-threatening fifth.
But a change in tactics reversed Tiz a Slam's fortunes July 1 in the 1 1/4-mile Dominion Day on Woodbine's synthetic main track, against a proven group of hard hitters.
On the lead early for the first time in his 17-race career, Tiz a Slam galloped on the front with easy fractions and held off a late bid from five-time graded winner Melmich to win by 1 1/4 lengths.
"I know we were going pretty slow, and he was tugging me the whole way," said winning jockey Steven Bahen. "He got some good fractions, and that's why he finished up so strong. (Trainer) Roger (Attfield) had him ready today, and it was fantastic."
Melmich, who was last of seven through a half-mile in :50.84, advanced wide in the backstretch, challenged the leader in the final turn, and had the margin cut to a half-length with a furlong to run, but Tiz a Slam found more on the inside and pulled away late to finish the distance in 2:03.11.
Eclipse Stakes (G2) winner Are You Kidding Me finished third, a neck in front of Eclipse third-place finisher Gigantic Breeze. Black Sea, Sir Dudley Digges, and Dragon Bay completed the order of finish.
Bred in Ontario, out of the Grand Slam mare Flaming Rose, Tiz a Slam has a 5-2-1 record and $560,142 in earnings.
"This horse, he actually trained super into this race," Attfield said. "He's a big, long-striding horse, and he likes just to gallop. The last few races, we've been wide in some of those races, because you can't check him. He's got to keep striding. He trained like he could win the race if he got his trip, and he dug in well down the lane, which I was clearly pleased to see. He's a nice horse."
Melmich, a 7-year-old Wilko gelding, has finished second in five straight races—four in graded stakes company. Prior to that, he had a five-race win streak (four in stakes, three graded). He's only been unplaced once in his last 19 starts, and that was a fourth in the 2016 Marathon Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park, one of his two starts on dirt. He has a 16-12-3 record from 37 starts and $951,248 in earnings.