Tiz a Slam possible for Prince of Wales Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – For the second time in three years, trainer Roger Attfield had his bid for a record ninth Queen’s Plate win denied by a Stronach Stables homebred when Tiz a Slam ran second to Holy Helena on July 2 at Woodbine.

Back in 2015, Attfield sent out Danish Dynaformer to a runner-up finish behind the Stronach Stables homebred Shaman Ghost. Danish Dynaformer then proceeded to the Prince of Wales Stakes on dirt at Fort Erie, and Tiz a Slam also could start in the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown on July 25. Nominations for the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes were to close Tuesday.

“We’ve nominated him,” Attfield said. “He’ll work on the training track here, and then we’ll make the assessment.”

Attfield said Tiz a Slam trained on both dirt and turf this past winter at Payson Park in Indiantown, Fla. The colt also recorded two breezes on dirt at Keeneland in April ahead of his start in the Wando Stakes on Tapeta at Woodbine on May 7.

“This winter, he trained better on the turf than he did on the dirt at Payson Park, but then he wasn’t where I wanted him anyways, so it would be hard to assess that,” Attfield said.

Tiz a Slam came with a late run to be second in the Queen’s Plate, finishing 3 1/2 lengths behind Holy Helena. Attfield said he was pleased with the way Tiz a Slam moved forward off his fourth-place finish in the Plate Trial on June 11.

“I had no excuses and no complaints,” he said. “I thought that he was going to move up from the Plate Trial, and he did. He was second-best. I think that’s a good filly that beat him. Obviously, I wanted to win, but I was pleased with it.”