New York shipper Tiz Blessed took command leaving the final turn and left his fellow 2-year-olds well behind while bounding to a 5 1/2-length win in the $150,413 Display Stakes at Woodbine Nov. 28 (VIDEO).
On a cloudy, 37-degree day at the Toronto track, Patrick Husbands delivered Gary and Mary West's Tiznow colt to victory for trainer Chad Brown. Tiz Blessed, posting his first stakes triumph, completed the 1 1/16-mile test over Polytrack in 1:44.23.
Breaking from the rail as the second choice in the field of eight, Tiz Blessed started slowly but moved up to mid-pack along the inside as 19-1 shot Sardonicus got loose on a lonely lead.
Sardonicus opened up by about two lengths over Moonshine Mullin and a couple of others while clicking off an opening quarter-mile in a slow :25.07 and the half-mile in :49.14. Tiz Blessed closed in on the leaders early on the final turn, dueled briefly, and got the lead while completing six furlongs in 1:13.01.
Tiz Blessed edged clear at the head of the stretch and was never threatened. He led by 3 1/2 lengths at the eighth pole and extended his advantage from there while ridden out by Husbands.
Moonshine Mullin, ridden by Eurico Da Silva, was a clear second by 2 3/4 lengths over late-running Silverleo and Chantal Sutherland. Bear's Future, the 6-5 favorite with Emma-Jayne Wilson aboard, failed to make an impact while rallying mildly along the inside for fourth.
Tiz Blessed began his career at Saratoga, winning his debut by a nose at 6 1/2 furlongs Aug. 7. Brown jumped the bay colt into the Garden State Stakes at Monmouth Park in his only other start Sept. 25. Tiz Blessed overcame a rough start that day to finish fourth behind three next-out winners, including Sweet Ducky, who won the race, and third-place finisher Astrology .
Bred in Kentucky by Decker's Thoroughbred Horse Farm and Steeple Hill Farm, Tiz Blessed is out of the Hennessy mare Starboard Stinger and brought $285,000 at the 2008 Keeneland November sale.
He earned $89,001 for the Display victory to boost his three-race total to $124,001.
Tiz Blessed carried 118 pounds and paid $6.90, $4.30, and $2.80. Moonshine Mullin, trying the Polytrack for the first time after racing on turf in the first two starts of his career for trainer Reade Baker, returned $7.60 and $3.90 and rounded out a $56.60 exacta. Silverleo was $4.30 to show.
Bear's Future was followed by Sardonicus, Bluegrass Dreamer, Alpha Bettor, and Diamondsdiplomat.
