Tiz a Slam can continue Attfield's dominance of Singspiel Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Don’t be surprised if the Grade 3 Singspiel is renamed after trainer Roger Attfield one day, because the Hall of Famer has won seven of the 14 runnings of the 12-furlong turf stakes.

Attfield sends out the obvious favorite Tiz a Slam in Saturday’s edition of the $125,000 event. The gigantic Tiz a Slam, now 5, was a stakes winner at 2 and 3, and has since evolved into a productive turf marathoner under journeyman Steven Bahen.

Bahen guided Tiz a Slam to victories in the Grade 2 Nijinsky and Grade 3 Dominion Day stakes in 2018, performances that made Tiz a Slam a Sovereign Award finalist. The horse was a fourth two starts ago in his second appearance of the year in the Grade 2 Elkhorn at Keeneland. When reunited with Bahen most recently in the Grade 3 Louisville at Churchill Downs, Tiz a Slam set a dawdling pace and won the 12-furlong route over last year’s Singspiel winner, Shahroze.

“His last race was really good,” Bahen said. “There wasn’t any speed in there. He set some nice fractions, like he usually does when he’s won for me. When he’s on those kind of fractions, he’s tough to beat.”

Bahen is happy about the way Tiz a Slam has been working, including a five-eighths breeze in 1:00.80 on the Tapeta on June 13.

“He’s doing real well,” Bahen said. “I thought his work the other day was fantastic.”

A field of five was drawn for the Singspiel, race 8 on a 10-race program.

KEY CONTENDERS

Tiz a Slam, by Tiznow
Last 3 Beyers: 95-95-91

◗ Bahen has had a marvelous spring, having won the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks on Desert Ride, who is bound for the Queen’s Plate. Expect him and Tiz a Slam to be on another easy lead Saturday.

Melmich, by Wilko
Last 3 Beyers: 97-99-85

◗ The popular millionaire was considered a synthetic-track specialist prior to last winter, when trainer Kevin Attard put him through a three-race stint on grass at Gulfstream Park. After ending up third in a starter stakes Jan. 25, he finished second in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida and then lost the Grade 2 Pan American by a nose to Focus Group going 1 1/2 miles.

◗ The 8-year-old has been freshened since the March 30 Pan American and has been working regularly on the training track.

◗ He finished far back in his lone start on Woodbine’s turf course while facing maidens in 2014.

Avie’s Mesa, by Sky Mesa
Last 3 Beyers: 91-82-83

◗ He finished a respectable fourth in his May 20 season opener in the Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes on the Tapeta, arguably the best performance of his career.