Sackatoga Stable

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - Every morning when Tiz the Law (Constitution) goes out to the track for his exercise, there is a Smullen from Oxford, PA on his back. Most days the likely favorite for the GI Kentucky Derby is carrying Robin Smullen, trainer Barclay Tagg's longtime assistant and life partner. Once a week, when the colt has his timed workout, though, Heather Smullen, Robin's 38-year-old niece, has the assignment. It is a challenge, she acknowledges, to keep the four-time Grade I winner to the task while not getting in...

Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law (Constitution), a looming prohibitive favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby, recorded his second-to-last breeze before the Sept. 5 Run for the Roses when covering five furlongs in a bullet :59.47 (1/39) over the Saratoga main track Sunday morning. The Barclay Tagg trainee was scheduled to breeze Saturday at the Spa, but had his work pushed back a day after a sudden downpour drastically changed the track conditions. Working under cover of darkness at 5:30 a.m. Sunday under exercise rider Heather Smullen, Tiz the Law clicked...

Fresh off of a powerhouse victory by his Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law (Constitution) in Saturday's GI Runhappy Travers S., Jack Knowlton joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland Wednesday morning to talk about the imposing GI Kentucky Derby favorite. Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Knowlton also discussed the deal struck with Coolmore to stand Tiz the Law at Ashford Stud, how much it meant to be in attendance for the Barclay Tagg trainee's Travers victory and whether or not this renewed...

Sackatoga Stable's GI Runhappy Travers S. winner Tiz the Law (Constitution) was bright-eyed the morning after his dominant 5 1/2-length victory in Saratoga's marquee race, for which he received a career-best 109 Beyer Speed Figure. Shortly after training concluded for the morning, trainer Barclay Tagg was at his barn on the Saratoga backstretch standing next to the garland of carnations that had been draped around the now four-time Grade I winner's neck Saturday. Tagg said his star 3-year-old colt was in good order. "He looks fine," Tagg told the NYRA...

Following a resounding victory in the GI Belmont S., Sackatoga Stable and Barclay Tagg could have easily put their star pupil Tiz the Law (Constitution) in bubble wrap and waited for a run in the rescheduled GI Kentucky Derby. After all, only in this strange year could a team of connections have the benefit of 11 weeks of rest in between the first and second legs of the Triple Crown. Instead, the once-beaten New York-bred star will line up as a heavy favorite in Saturday's GI Runhappy Travers S. at...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - Mixing confidence with the cautiousness that comes from years of experience in Thoroughbred racing, Jack Knowlton is more than ready for the GI Runhappy Travers S. Saturday that will feature Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law (Constitution). Seventeen years after Sackatoga's GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. winner Funny Cide (Distorted Humor) was scratched from the Travers the day before the race, Knowlton is eager to watch one of the horses he co-owns compete in the marquee race in the city that has been his home...

Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law (Constitution) tuned up for next Saturday's GI Runhappy Travers S. with a five-furlong work in :59.44 (2/24) at Saratoga Saturday. "I wanted to go in a minute and he went in a minute. It was perfect," trainer Barclay Tagg said of the work. "We couldn't have worked better. He came back good and he was breathing good. Everything was good. He's a gem to work with. He is doing perfectly as far as I'm concerned. I don't know what else we can do for him....

Sackatoga Stable's GI Belmont S. winner Tiz the Law (Constitution) breezed five-eighths in 1:00.48 (2/16) Saturday morning on the Saratoga Race Course main track in preparation for the $1-million GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 8. The three-time Grade I winner recorded splits of :24.20 and :36.00 before galloping out in 1:13.80 with exercise rider Heather Smullen aboard. "He does exactly what you tell him to do," Smullen said. "It was a little different this week just because there was some traffic right off the rail and last week there was...

Leading sophomore Tiz the Law (Constitution) turned in his first published breeze since shipping to Saratoga Saturday morning as he eyes the Spa's GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 8. Working solo around 8:45 a.m. under exercise rider Heather Smullen, the GI Belmont S. hero was clocked in :59.63 with internal splits of :24.40 and :35.60 and a six-furlong gallop-out in 1:12.84. Click for XBTV video. "I thought the work was good," said trainer Barclay Tagg. "He did it just right. The time was good. Everything was good." Tiz the Law...

TIMONIUM, MD - The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale opened Monday in Timonium with the specter of uncertainty in the industry caused by the pandemic and the havoc it has wreaked on the global economy hanging over all participants, but the session was punctuated by vibrant bidding across the board and concluded with a sparkling 20% buy-back rate. A colt by Uncle Mo brought the day's highest price when selling to Michael Lund Peterson for $1.1 million. "I don't think anybody really knew what to expect, including us," Fasig-Tipton...

Sackatoga Stable's GI Belmont S. winner Tiz the Law (Constitution) has been made the 7-2 morning-line favorite in Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager that will run Friday-Sunday. With the postponement of the GI Kentucky Derby to Sept. 5 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Churchill Downs has announced three additional pools for the KDFW and an extra pool for the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager. In addition to this weekend's Future Wager, Pool 6 of the KDFW will span Friday, July 17 through Sunday, July 19 while Pool 7...

ELMONT, NY -- Manny Franco let out a yell in celebration that echoed through the massive empty grandstand as Tiz the Law (Constitution) came streaking under the line a dominating 3 3/4-length winner of a most unique renewal of Saturday's GI Belmont Stakes. Dr Post (Quality Road), a last out winner of Gulfstream's Unbridled S. Apr. 25, and GIII Withers S. hero Max Player (Honor Code) rallied from the back to collect second and third honors, respectively. Although positioned as the first leg of this year's upside down Triple Crown...