Tiz Windy Breaks Through, Takes Indiana Oaks
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The late Jim Tafel's Tiz Windy made her second attempt in graded stakes company a successful one when she ran down the leaders late to take the $200,000 Indiana Oaks (gr. II) at Indiana Grand Race Course the evening of Oct. 4 .
It was the fourth career win for 7-2 shot Tiz Windy, a Tiznow filly out of the A.P. Indy mare Windyindy bred by Tafel, who died in June at 90. In late June she finished an even fourth in the Iowa Oaks (gr. III).
With Brian Hernandez Jr. riding for trainer Carl Nafzger, Tiz Windy rated comfortably toward the rear early in the 1 1/16-mile test for 3-year-old fillies before making her move on the far turn. She tracked what appeared to be a winning bid by 2-1 favorite Unbridled Forever and Joel Rosario, and then collared that one past the furlong marker to win by 2 3/4 lengths.
Penwith, who dueled for the early lead with Soul Title, finished 4 1/4 lengths back in third, while Awesome Jill checked in fourth in a field of 11. Fractions for the race on a fast track were :23.29 for the opening quarter-mile, :47.01 for the half-mile, 1:11.02 for six furlongs, and 1:36.27 for one mile. The final time was 1:42.70 on a chilly night in central Indiana.
"She had the favorite in front of her, and when she switched leads, she knew how to run her down," said Hernandez, who rode Tiz Windy to a strong victory in a non-winners-of-two-other-than allowance race in her previous start at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Ian Wilkes, who subbed for Nafzger, said Tiz Windy had shown improvement in 2014 and her connections believed the Indiana Oaks was worth a shot.
"Her last race was very good," Wilkes said. "I think Carl was quite confident she'd run a strong race. Winning (for Tafel) means a lot to me and Carl."
Nafzger won the 2007 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) with the Tafel-owned Street Sense .
Tiz Windy paid $9.80, $4.20, and $3 across the board. Unbridled Forever returned $3.40 and $2.80, while Penwith paid $3.40 to show. The $2 exacta returned $28 and the $2 trifecta $108.80.
Windyindy is a daughter of the stakes-winning Unbridled Wind, a full sister to Banshee Breeze. Banshee Breeze was champion 3-year-old filly of 1998 for Tafel and Nafzger.