Tiztastic

8th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 4:25 p.m. ET Travis Boersma's Flying Dutchmen gave $330,000 for PRIZE PICK (Tiz the Law) at last year's Keeneland September sale and watched the value of his acquisition appreciate markedly owing to the racetrack success of his year-older full-brother Tiztastic. Twice graded-placed at this venue in 2024, that dark bay colt came from well-back to win this year's GII Louisiana Derby. Also a half-brother to the stakes-winning and Grade II-placed Interpolate (Into Mischief), Prize Pick is pegged as a 6-1 chance on the...

The field for the GI Kentucky Derby, ranked in "likeliest winner" order. 1) JOURNALISM (c, Curlin--Mopotism, by Uncle Mo). O-Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 LLC, LaPenta, Robert V., Magnier, Mrs. John, Smith, Derrick and Tabor, Michael B.; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. Sales history: $825,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG. Lifetime record: GISW, 5-4-0-1, $638,880. Last start: WON Apr. 5 GI Santa Anita Derby. Journalism is the legitimate and deserving favorite. He checks many of the Derby desirability boxes by being a big, long-striding...

Kentucky Derby morning-line favorite Journalism (Curlin) topped a work tab of six entrants for the GI Kentucky Derby by working five furlongs over a fast track in 1:01.40 Sunday morning at Churchill Downs. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Journalism put in his morning breeze during the 7:15-7:30 EST training window for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses. Sunday morning the early favorite was reunited with rider Umberto Rispoli.  Journalism cut out splits of :13.60, :25.80 and :37.60, galloping out in 1:13.60 and 1:26.80. "I was very pleased with the work," said trainer...

Five Kentucky Derby hopefuls were on track Saturday morning during the special training period for Oaks and Derby horses at Churchill Downs, but one, GISW Tappan Street (Into Mischief), has been withdrawn from the big race with an injury. As reported early Saturday morning, the son of Into Mischief had just completed a five furlong breeze when regular rider Luis Saez felt that 'something was off' afterwards. X-rays back at the barn revealed a condylar fracture, and while trainer Brad Cox reports it is not a major injury, it will...

Under what was described as "perfect conditions" by analyst Kaitlin Free, a busy Saturday morning at Churchill Downs ensued as seven GI Kentucky Derby contenders logged published workouts for the "Run for the Roses" and a pair of GI Kentucky Oaks contenders also drilled for their connections, according to a press release from the track on Saturday morning. The tab included top Derby point getter Burnham Square (Liam's Map), who went a half-mile in :49.40 under pilot Brian Hernandez Jr. Trained by Ian Wilkes, the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes...

Given their current trajectories, Tapit ($214.6 million) will soon be overtaken by Into Mischief ($205.2 million) as the highest-earning stallion in American history. In terms of volume, however, their respective output just now happens to be virtually identical: Into Mischief, with bigger books across four fewer crops, tallies 1,735 named foals and 1,440 starters against 1,718 and 1,447 for his venerable rival. And though Spendthrift's champion recently nosed ahead by stakes winners (170/166), his upgraded mares are still cycling through and Tapit for now remains clear in the elite indices:...

GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby winner Tiztastic (Tiz the Law) was one of several shippers who arrived at Churchill Downs early Tuesday morning from Fair Grounds. "We thought he'd run a better race in the Louisiana Derby with the extra distance and he took the step forwarded he needed," said Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. "He has a great mind to him. I think he ran a solid race but there is more in him." CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm's John Hancock (Constitution), who finished fourth in the Louisiana Derby,...

We've taken the plunge into the deeper end of the prep pool for the GI Kentucky Derby. Five nine-furlong stakes each awarding 100 qualifying points are scheduled over the next two Saturdays, after which this list will expand to the Top 20. 1) CITIZEN BULL (c, Into Mischief--No Joke, by Distorted Humor) O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Robert Low & Lawana Low (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history:...

Having already sent out the ultra-impressive Magnitude (Not This Time) to take last month's GII Risen Star Stakes, Steve Asmussen was back at it Saturday afternoon in New Orleans, as the Hall of Famer added the GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby with 15-2 chance Tiztastic (Tiz the Law). It was the Hall of Fame conditioner's fifth victory in the marquee event of the meeting in the Big Easy, equaling the record held by Todd Pletcher. An even fifth to Coal Battle (Coal Front) from an awkward draw in 12 in the...

All of us involved in this game tend to be exposed to its ups and downs on a scale proportionate to our means. That being so, there have unsurprisingly been some pretty wild extremes--for better and worse--in the story of the most lavishly funded program in its history. Just think back, for instance, to the last days of April 2001. Sheikh Mohammed had sent Street Cry (Ire) back to the United States, where he had been skillfully developed as a juvenile by Eoin Harty, with the mission of winning the...

If it stays like this, a single maiden winner might settle it. Because all that separates McKinzie ($2,294,679) from current leader Tiz the Law ($2,339,575) in the freshman table is $44,896. But wait, there's more. McKinzie isn't even second. Between the pair lurks Vekoma ($2,306,457), ensuring a desperate three-way contest for the prized laurels of champion first-season sire. It's even closer than this time last year, when four stallions were divided by barely $200,000. In the end, Mitole actually extended his lead down the stretch. But the fact that the...

To many, no doubt, her genetic contribution is by now too attenuated to merit attention. At the very least, however, it must be acknowledged an impressive coincidence that the winners of both the GIII Iroquois Stakes and GIII Pocahontas Stakes--whose shared value, as reconnaissance for the Classics over the same track next May, is recognized by allocation of the first starting points--should share as sixth dam the Darby Dan foundation mare Golden Trail. The Golden Trail dynasty entwines such productive lines as those branded by Memories of Silver, Sunshine Forever...