ELMONT, N.Y. – Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law came out of his impressive four-length win in Saturday’s Grade 1 $500,000 Champagne for 2-year-olds in good order, trainer Barclay Tagg said Sunday morning.
The Constitution colt improved to 2-for-2 in his career, building on his 4 ¼-length debut at 6 ½ furlongs on August 8 by besting a six-horse Champagne field in a one-turn mile, drawing away from favorite Green Light Go to hit the wire in a 1:35.41 final time.
Tiz the Law became the first New York-bred to win the Champagne in 50 years [Silent Screen in 1969], earning an automatic entry to the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November at Santa Anita.
But Tagg said Tiz the Law, who earned 10 qualifying points to the 2020 Kentucky Derby, will likely skip that race and next target another prep race for the “Run for the Roses,” with either the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen on December 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack or the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club on November 30 at Churchill Downs the likely next spot. Both races carry the same 10-4-2-1 points structure for first-through-fourth place finishes that the Champagne awarded.
“He came out of it great,” Tagg said. “I was very happy with him. He did everything right. Seeing him this morning, there isn’t a blemish on him. So far, so good. Nothing fazed him.
“We haven’t decided what we’re doing next. We’re still calling people and seeing what they want to do, so we’ll see.”
While the Kentucky Derby remains far in the future, Tiz the Law would represent Tagg’s sixth career starter in the race. He last participated in 2008, when he saddled both Tale of Ekati [fourth] and Big Truck [18th]. His best showing came with his first Derby starter, when Funny Cide, a New York-bred like Tiz the Law, won the 2003 edition and captured the Preakness as well before running third in the Belmont Stakes.
“It’s exciting. It’s what you hope for,” Tagg said.
By: NYRA Press
