Tiz Plus ships in and gets the money in Robert Dupret Derby

A favor for a friend paid dividends as Tiz Plus held off favored Contagion to win the $55,450 Robert Dupret Derby Sunday on the closing day of the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa. The Robert Dupret Derby, for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles, was scheduled for turf but run on the main track.

Tiz Plus is based in Texas where he is trained by Mindy Willis, daughter of legendary Northern California trainer Barney Willis. Mindy Willis contacted old friend Manny Badilla to get information on the Robert Dupret Derby and sent him to Badilla to run in the race. The Tizway colt's owners, Bronte and Brent Marshall, live in Rhonert Park, which neighbors Santa Rosa.

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Tiz Plus had won his last two races, both allowance races on turf at Lone Star, and was making his second start on the dirt Sunday.

Ridden by Irving Orozco, Tiz Plus sat behind pacesetting Our Bold Prince through fractions of 25.14 and 49.50 for the opening half-mile while just in front of Contagion. Tiz Plus got the jump on Contagion and stuck his head in front nearing the quarter pole. He opened a 1 ½-length and lasted by a head over Contagion, with Prospicience another 5 1/4 lengths back in third.

“Irving gave him a remarkable ride,” said Badilla.

Tiz Plus was clocked in 1:44.25 for the 1 1/16-mile race. He paid $10.80 to win.

The Robert Dupret Derby originally was scheduled for Saturday, but did not attract enough entrants to be carded, so it was pushed to Sunday.

“The owners are from here so I'm glad the race got to go," said Badilla. "He'd vanned all the way out here, so we weren't going to pass even when the race was taken off the turf.”

Tiz Plus earned $32,150 while winning for the fourth time in six starts this year. He has earned $74,296 with four wins from eight starts.

Badilla said the colt was headed back to Texas.