Hollywood Park: Tiz Flirtatious aiming for Mabee

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Tiz Flirtatious was a head away from winning the first Grade 1 of her career when she finished a valiant second to Marketing Mix in the $250,500 Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares on turf Monday.The loss was a setback for trainer Marty Jones, who had the 5-year-old Tiz Flirtatious in peak form for the spring-summer meeting’s top race for turf fillies and mares.

“It was tough to see her run that hard and lose,” Jones said. “She seemed like she took the race okay. She’s tired.”

The loss has led Jones and owner-breeder Pamela Ziebarth to form a tentative plan for the summer and early autumn. Tiz Flirtatious will be pointed to the $250,000 John Mabee Stakes, a Grade 2 for fillies and mares over 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 11. Later this year, Tiz Flirtatious could start in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes over 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita, a key prep to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf there Nov. 1.

A winner of 6 of 10 starts, Tiz Flirtatious has never run beyond 1 1/8 miles.

“We’d like to try to stretch her out,” Jones said.