Tiz a Slam can notch third straight stakes win

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Tiz a Slam will seek his third consecutive graded stakes victory in Sunday’s Grade 2, $175,000 Sky Classic Stakes for 3-year-olds and upward over 1 3/8 miles on the Woodbine turf course.

Trainer Roger Attfield holds a strong hand in this year’s Sky Classic, with both Tiz a Slam and graded stakes winner Danish Dynaformer in the field of six. Tiz a Slam comes into the Sky Classic off wins in the Grade 3 Dominion Day and Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes.

“He’s just developed, and now he’s 4 and getting close to maturity,” Attfield said. “He’s just grown into a nice, big, strong horse and he’s come into himself very well.”

Attfield said he considered skipping the Sky Classic with Tiz a Slam in favor of the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes over 1 1/2 miles on turf here Sept. 15.

“He’d been training so very well that I decided I would run him,” he said.

Meanwhile, Danish Dynaformer will make his first start since a sixth-place finish in the Grade 3 Singspiel Stakes here June 23.

“He hasn’t been training as well this year, so it’s been a bit of a disappointing year so far, but he’s had some reasons for that,” Attfield said. “He had a few little aches and pains going on. He seems to be coming back to his old form and if he comes back to his old form, he’d be very, very tough. We’re just hoping that’s going to be the case.”

Key Contenders

Tiz a Slam, by Tiznow
Last 3 Beyers: 96-97-82

◗ Off back-to-back gate-to-wire scores, Tiz a Slam should be forwardly placed again in the Sky Classic. He’s gotten away with easy leads in his last two starts, but may have more speed to contend with in this spot.

Danish Dynaformer, by Dynaformer
Last 3 Beyers: 78-87-97

◗ While his stablemate would prefer an easy lead, Danish Dynaformer is at his best with speed to chase. Slow paces appeared to compromise him in the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland in April and at Woodbine in an allowance in May.

◗ He’ll be seeking his first win since capturing the Grade 3 Singspiel Stakes on this turf course in July 2016.

Utmost, by Giant’s Causeway
Beyers: 90-N/A-N/A

◗ He finished third for trainer Graham Motion in his North American debut in the Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park on July 7. He was previously based in England with trainer John Gosden and raced mostly on synthetic, but did win his career debut on turf in October 2016.

◗ He could be Tiz a Slam’s biggest pace threat in the Sky Classic.

Black Sea, by Dubai Destination
Last 3 Beyers: 86-86-91

◗ He was claimed by trainer Nick Gonzalez for $50,000 at Gulfstream Park in February.

◗ He finished fifth behind Tiz a Slam in the Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes while making his first stakes start for his new connections. He’ll make his first start on the Woodbine turf course in this event, but did finish in the runner-up position in a Group 2 event on grass in Switzerland in June 2016.