Kentucky Derby, not Breeders' Cup, Tiz the Law's target

Only the Sackatoga Stable Operating Manager Jack Knowlton and one other partner are holdovers from the ownership group that once campaigned Funny Cide. But Knowlton will use wisdom acquired during the 2003 Kentucky Derby winner’s career in charting another rising star.

After Tiz the Law rolled to a victory Saturday in the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park, Knowlton said it’s “highly unlikely” Tiz the Law, another New York-bred trained by Barclay Tagg, goes on to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Among the reasons: a cross-country ship; a two-turn debut at the highest level; and lingering concerns about the safety of Santa Anita Park’s main dirt track.

Plus, as Tagg put it, "We can always go to California another year, but we can only go to the Kentucky Derby one year.”

Tiz the Law, a son of Constitution purchased for $110,000 as a yearling, improved to 2-for-2 when stepping out of state-bred company in the Champagne. He had posted some of the best figures of any juvenile at Saratoga, with the Beyer, Brisnet and Timeform scales agreeing he was fastest in the field out of an Aug. 8 debut victory.

“His numbers certainly showed that he belonged,” Knowlton said. “I look at a lot of numbers. That’s what I do. The other horses that had run the 90 Beyer figures or better, they won the big race in California. They won the big race in Kentucky.

“So I said, ‘Why not us?’ Nobody that was going to be here had run as fast as he did at Saratoga, and he never got asked — not for anything on that race.”

But those current big horses — the Bob Baffert-trained Eight Rings at Santa Anita and Dale Romans’ Churchill Downs-based Dennis’ Moment — will have to wait to meet Tiz the Law.

Knowlton said one more race is expected this season, perhaps in Aqueduct’s Remsen Stakes (G2). That, as with the Champagne, pays out 10 qualifying points toward the 2020 Kentucky Derby to its winner.

So too does the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at the end of November. That event at Churchill Downs is also an option, Tagg said.

“Barclay pretty much feels getting three races as a 2-year-old is a key to success,” Knowlton said. “We’ll look. That’s kind of the logical one. But going a mile and an eighth as a 2-year-old is probably not the preferred thing.”

Funny Cide, who was a gelding, won a pair of New York-bred stakes as a 2-year-old, passed on the 2002 Breeders’ Cup and returned to run in the Holy Bull (G3), Louisiana Derby (G2) and Wood Memorial (G1) on his way to Churchill Downs.

Tiz the Law went right into the deep end to face open company in the Champagne. He overcome a bobble at the break and nearly clipped heels when shuffled back before the turn.

“I got him to relax and he came back to me,” said jockey Manny Franco. “I was just waiting for the moment. I didn't want to move too early because I knew I had a lot of horse under me. I was trying to wait as long as I could.

“He lugged in a bit. He’s still a little green. I had a lot of horse at the end. He's a nice horse."

"He came out of it great," Tagg added. "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."

Matt Shifman contributed to this report.