Tiz a Slam checked in second to Holy Helena in the July 2 Queen's Plate, but turned the tables on that heavily favored filly Sunday with a decisive score in the GIII Ontario Derby. The 9-1 shot broke sharply, but a bit inwardly, brushing with his inside neighbor. Quickly straightened out, the bay tracked from third, running off the rail through leisurely early fractions. Launching a three-wide bid on the backstretch, he drew even with the leader entering the far turn and spurted clear in the lane to win by three lengths. Running near the back most of the way, Holy Helena rallied down the center of the course in the stretch, but could not catch the leader and settled for second.
“It is actually [a very satisfying win] because I really thought that I could probably win the Plate and we got beat and then we went to the Prince of Wales and he really doesn't like the dirt and that turned into a bit of a disaster for us,” said winning trainer Roger Attfield. “I sort of knew that might happen going in there so I was kind of cross with myself about it. He's just been training so well. There was no way this horse shouldn't be able to win a race like this and so it was so nice to see. Actually, when he was coming up to the three-eighths pole, I was shouting out to Eurico [Da Silva], 'Just let him run, please let him run!' because he's a big horse and if he ever has to check, it takes him a while to get his feet under him again. He's a lovely horse to train and I'm so pleased for the Chiefswood team. They breed a lovely horse and they're such nice people to train for, and I'm please for everybody.”
Tiz a Slam opened his career with a pair of wins at Woodbine last August before finishing fourth behind Good Samaritan (Harlan's Holiday) in the GII Summer S. and concluded his juvenile campaign with a win in the Cup and Saucer S. Second in the Queen's Plate in his fourth start of 2017, the bay colt was a well-beaten fifth in the July 25 Prince of Wales's S. and was most recently fourth in Indiana's turfy Centaur S. Sept. 6.
Pedigree Notes:
Flaming Rose produced a half-brother by Ghostzapper to Tiz a Slam in 2016 and a filly by Kitten's Joy this year before being bred back to Uncle Mo. The mare is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Essential Edge (Storm Cat). Her dam Rose of Tara (Ire) (Generous {Ire}), with Essential Edge in utero, was purchased by Chiefswood Stables for $1.95 million at the 2002 Keeneland November sale. Tiz a Slam's third dam Flame of Tara produced 1990 G1 Irish Derby, G1 Epsom Oaks and G1 1000 Guineas winner Salsabil (Ire) (Sadler's Wells)
ONTARIO DERBY-GIII, C$147,900, WO, 10-15, 3yo, 1 1/8m (AWT), 1:51.57, ft.
1–TIZ A SLAM, 117, c, 3, by Tiznow
1st Dam: Flaming Rose, by Grand Slam
2nd Dam: Rose of Tara (Ire), by Generous (Ire)
3rd Dam: Flame of Tara (Ire), by Artaius
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Chiefswood Stable; B-Chiefswood Stables Limited (ON); T-Roger L. Attfield; J-Eurico Rosa Da Silva. C$90,000. Lifetime Record: 11-4-2-0, $469,147. Werk Nick
Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”ontario-bred”][bullet ad=”winstar-win-20000″]2–Holy Helena, 118, f, 3, Ghostzapper–Holy Grace, by Holy Bull. O-Stronach Stables; B-Adena Springs (ON); T-James A. Jerkens. C$30,000.[bullet ad=”paramount-hip-1962-at-keenov”][bullet ad=”adena-bred-and-raised”][bullet ad=”ontario-bred”]
3–Guy Caballero, 119, g, 3, Quality Road–Dixie Chicken, by Rahy. ($85,000 RNA Wlg '14 KEENOV; $65,000 RNA Ylg '15 KEESEP). O/B-Sean Fitzhenry & Dorothy Fitzhenry (ON); T-Catherine Day Phillips. C$15,000.[bullet ad=”ontario-bred”]
Margins: 3 1/4, HD, 1HF. Odds: 9.00, 0.95, 62.25.
Also Ran: Senior Investment, Undulated, Gorgeous Kitten, Grizzel (Ire), Colonel Samsen, Cool Catomine.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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