Tiz the Law breezes easy five furlongs at Palm Meadows

In a world free of the coronavirus, Tiz the Law would have spent Saturday morning at Churchill Downs going through the usual preparations prior to parading postward as the likely favorite in the Kentucky Derby.

Instead, Florida Derby winner Tiz the Law spent Saturday morning at the Palm Meadows training center in Florida where he breezed an easy five furlongs in 1:01.45 under exercise rider Heather Smullen, continuing to bide his time awaiting whatever as yet undetermined race will be his next.

“He got a little anxious breaking off because he had another horse alongside him, but after that he went at his usual, steady pace,” said Smullin. “And as usual, he was hard to pull up.”

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Saturday’s work was the fourth for Tiz the Law since he solidified his position atop the Daily Racing Form Derby Watch with his popular and convincing 4 1/4-length victory in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 28. The win was the second in as many starts at 3 for the New York-bred son of Constitution who launched his season with an equally one-sided three-length triumph despite a somewhat eventful trip in the Grade 2 Holy Bull eight weeks earlier.

Tiz the Law’s lone setback in five career starts came at Churchill Downs over a sloppy track in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club in his 2-year-old finale on Nov. 30. Trainer Barclay Tagg never considered Saturday’s Grade 1 Arkansas Derby an option for Tiz the Law, who will likely remain at Palm Meadows indefinitely while his connections await more concrete news regarding the reopening of Belmont Park.