Tiz a Slam never looks back in Nijinsky Stakes win

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Tiz a Slam went right to the front and never looked back en route to his second straight graded stakes victory under Steven Bahen in the Grade 2 Nijinsky at Woodbine on Sunday.

Tiz a Slam ($22.70) set moderate fractions in the 12-furlong turf marathon, while Johnny Bear and Bangkok took up the chase in second and third. Maryland-based Mekhtaal began to mount a wide rally at the head of the stretch, but his bid came up a half-length short of Tiz a Slam, who completed the distance in 2:29.02 over a course labeled good.

Johnny Bear finished a close third, while the favored shipper Vettori Kin faded to trail the eight-horse field.

Tiz a Slam, the runner-up in the 2017 Queen’s Plate, was exiting a front-running score in the Grade 3 Dominion Day over 10 furlongs on the Tapeta. Trained by Roger Attfield, the 4-year-old Tiznow colt earned $126,000 of the $201,950 Nijinsky purse for owner-breeder Chiefswood Stable.

“He’s a big horse. He’s taken a long time to mature,” Attfield said. “He’s still maturing. He’s learning. The last two races, he’d trained better than he did before any (other) race in his career. He just keeps getting bigger and stronger, and just keeps getting better, also.”