Tiztastic

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...

In most barns, after winning a $500,000 handicap at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 1 the 7-year-old gelding Goliad (War Front) would have gone to the sidelines, the trainer not daring to run him back in less than six weeks or so. Not Goliad. Hall of Fame conditioner Richard Mandella brought him back in six days. With so much money available at Kentucky Downs, a number of trainers ignored conventional wisdom and gave their horses two starts at the seven-day meet. That meant layoffs of no more than 13 days, with...

Tiztastic (Tiz the Law) used his late speed to effect and took home the second black-type for his first-crop sire (by Constitution) in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile on Sunday. A well-beaten fifth on debut over the main track at Saratoga July 27, the dark bay won against restricted auction company going 6 1/2 furlongs north of the Tennessee line Aug. 29. Showing an affinity for the unique course and as a 9-2 shot here, the juvenile took up a position mid-pack up the backstretch. Beginning to make up some...