HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Two weeks after a commanding victory in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 28 at Gulfstream Park further established him as the country’s leading Triple Crown contender, it was back to work Tiz the Law Saturday morning.
Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law breezed an easy half-mile in 52.80 seconds over the main track at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, where the bay son of 2014 Florida Derby winner Constitution remains with trainer Barclay Tagg.
“He was just stretching his legs,” Sackatoga’s managing partner Jack Knowlton said. “We obviously don’t have anything on the horizon, but we have to keep him in training. That’s his first work back. In a normal world he’d work back in 10 days, 11 days. We don’t want to go backwards on him, but we obviously have no idea where we’re going to run.”
His 122 qualifying points rank Tiz the Law first among prospects for the Kentucky Derby (G1), which was postponed from May 2 to Sept. 5 with live racing paused across the country out of health concerns. In a typical year, it is run five weeks following the Florida Derby, which has produced seven first-place finishers since 2001.
Tiz the Law is unbeaten as a 3-year-old, having captured the Holy Bull (G3) by three lengths Feb. 1 at Gulfstream, which served as a preview for his 4 ¼-length triumph in the Florida Derby.
“The good news for us is, he won two races down here off eight-week layoffs, so Barclay can get them ready for a race,” Knowlton said. “He’ll keep him in training, not hard training, but something to keep him fit and then tighten up when we know we potentially have a race for him.”
A winner of $945,300 in five career starts, Tiz the Law suffered his only loss when third in the slop in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) Nov. 30 in his juvenile finale, which followed back-to-back wins to open his career including the Oct. 5 Champagne (G1) at Belmont Park.
Knowlton said even without a defined target, Tiz the Law will likely remain on his typical pattern of working every seven days.
“That’s kind of his normal schedule,” Knowlton said. “We’re not looking to tighten the screws on him by any means, just let him stretch his legs. He’s working by himself. When we get to the point where we have a race to target, he’ll go in company and let him really work. There’s no reason to do that now, just keep him fit and happy.”
Gulfstream Park Press Release
Photo: Tiz The Law leaves the field in the dust to win the Florida Derby on March 28. Credit: Lauren King/Associated Press
