Jim and Susan Hill’s Tizahit rebounded off a 14-length defeat earlier this month to score a one-length victory over favored Protesting in the $200,000 Demoiselle Stakes (gr. II) Nov. 28 at Aqueduct (VIDEO).
Stalking the pace under Edgar Prado, Tizahit got a clear run down the backstretch and came with a three-wide move on the turn to join the leaders. Trained by George Weaver, Tizahit was a determined winner, hitting the wire after 1 1/8 miles in 1:53.09.
Oh Diane, the longest-priced filly in the field, set the early pace of :23.59, :49.35, and 1:15.11. She faded at the head of the lane to finish fifth.
“I thought Edgar did a good job placing her,” Weaver said. “In my eyes she was really just kind of a closer, didn't have a whole lot of speed, but he recognized that there weren't a lot of other horses with speed. He placed her forwardly without going crazy and just gave us a good trip, no trouble.Obviously with the outcome I couldn't be more delighted with the trip.
“We'll probably give her a little bit of a breather. We were thinking that before this race, so I'm not gung ho to get her back in the entries right away. But she's always acted like she was a nice filly, so we'll just enjoy this and see how it goes.”
Five of the seven starters in the field were 7-2 or less. Tizahit, the third choice in the betting, paid $7.90, $3.50, $2.80. Favored Protesting paid $3.30 and $2.70 as the runner-up. It was another 3 3/4 lengths back to Fuzzy Britches, the second choice, who returned $3.30. The 4-5 exacta paid $28.80.
Tizahit broke her maiden at first asking Sept. 13 at Monmouth Park going a mile. She then ran second in the 1 1/16-mile Blue Hen Stakes Oct. 3 at Delaware Park. In her start prior to the Demoiselle, she finished a well-beaten fourth, by 14 lengths, to Ailalea in the one-turn one-mile Tempted Stakes (gr. III) on Breeders’ Cup Saturday at Aqueduct.
The Demoiselle winner is the 10th stakes winner and seventh graded winner this year for Tiznow , who stands at WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky. Tiznow is currently the third leading sire by progeny earnings.
Tizahit was bred in Virginia by Morgan’s Ford Farm and is out of the Kris S. mare Never a No Hitter. Susie and Wayne Chatfield-Taylor have owned Morgan’s Ford Farm near Front Royal, Va., since 1979. They have bred or raised more than 30 stakes winners on the farm.
Never a No Hitter is out of the three-time stakes-winning mare Jeano. Consigned by Morgan’s Ford Farm, agent, Tizahit was sold to the Hills for $185,000 out of Book 3 of last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale.