Short Rest No Problem for Tiztastic in Juvenile Mile
Tiztastic (2c Tiz The Law x Keesha, by Tapit) showed that coming back to the starting gate just over a week after breaking his maiden wasn’t an issue with a victory in the $1 million Listed Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile on Sunday.
Winning an Allowance on August 29 going 6 ½ furlongs on the turf, the colt stretched to a mile in this start and showed the added distance wasn’t much of an obstacle.
Breaking from one of the widest gates in the race, the colt raced about five lengths off the leader. Racing as one of the outer markers in the field, Tiztastic didn’t have to worry about weaving through traffic when he made his move. The juvenile caught the leader inside the final furlong and showed that the first race hadn’t taken too much out of him when he engaged in a duel to the line.
In the end, Tiztastic was a neck ahead to become Tiz The Law’s second stakes winner with the rest of the field over four lengths behind the top two.
Trained by Steve Asmussen for Winchell Thoroughbreds and the Coolmore partners, Tiztastic now has two wins in three starts. The Capital Bloodstock-bred colt was a $335,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase almost exactly a year ago.
“This horse pulled off the double,” Asmussen said. “Very proud of him to win today. Obviously, an excellent race. Irad gave him a great trip. Great ownership group with a very nice horse. I think this horse will be better going forward, I really do.”
Tiztastic is the second stakes winner for his dam Keesha alongside Interpolate. Keesha is a half-sister to the Grade III winner and multiple Grade II-placed Shumoos and stakes winning Steady On.
Tiztastic’s dam is also a granddaughter of multiple Grade I winner Strategic Maneuver, who has two graded stakes winners herself and saw multiple daughters produce stakes winners as well.
The colt’s full brother sells at this week’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale as Hip 1232 by Hunter Valley Farm.
Two stakes winners puts Tiz The Law second among all freshmen sires while his 10 winners is fourth best among all freshmen as well.