Kentucky Derby 2020 Radar: Tizamagician wins for Mandella

Last season, trainer Richard Mandella experimented with a colt who had obvious talent but a bad case of second-itis. Finally, after tries on turf and then dirt, Omaha Beach broke his maiden at fifth asking on Feb. 2.

In that respect, perhaps Tizamagician’s ahead of the curve. With four runner-ups on his resume, and having competed with and without blinkers, the equipment came back off at the right time Wednesday when he opened the new year by graduating at Santa Anita Park.

Under jockey Victor Espinoza, the son of Tiznow pressed pace-setting Snap Chap, a $1.2 million yearling, before taking over through the turn and sprinting to a 2 1/2-length victory good enough for 2020 Kentucky Derby trail consideration.

The colt, campaigned by MyRaceHorse.com and Spendthrift Farm, will have an array of options moving forward, from the conditioned allowance ranks to a Derby prep such as the Feb. 1 Robert B. Lewis (G3) that goes at 1 1/16 miles.

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Purchased at auction for $150,000, Tizamagician entered Wednesday’s breakthrough win having finished second to colts like the Grade 1-placed Wrecking Crew; Honor A. P., who would have gone favored in Saturday’s Sham (G3) had he not come up lame; and Taishan, another Sham contender.

In one start where he missed the board, Tizamagician ran seventh at second asking when steadied hard in a six-furlong event.

Tizamagician ran close to a moderate pace in his victory, wearing Snap Chap down after an opening quarter mile in 23.37, before the half went up in 47.47 seconds. He went on to score as a 2-1 favorite as the narrow second choice, Divine Armor, chased on for second.

While the final time of 1:37.91 appeared relatively pedestrian, Tizamagician received an 85 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. On the other coast Wednesday, for comparison's sake Independence Hall won Aqueduct's one-mile Jerome Stakes in 1:37.21 and received an 83 Beyer.

Despite seeing Omaha Beach rise to Kentucky Derby favoritism with victories in Oaklawn Park’s Rebel Stakes (G2) and Arkansas Derby (G1), Mandella’s Kentucky Derby drought continued. His last starters in the race, Action This Day (sixth) and Minister Eric (16th), were saddled in 2004 given Omaha Beach’s race week scratch with a breathing issue.

Soul of the Matter, 1994’s fifth-place Derby finisher, marks Mandella’s best result under the Twin Spires.