Tiz a Slam to skip Coronation Futurity

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Tiz a Slam, who powered his way to a 1 3/4-length victory in the $250,000 Cup and Saucer Stakes on turf Oct. 22, will not run back in the $250,000 Coronation Futurity this Sunday, trainer Roger Attfield said.

Tiz a Slam was not among the 18 nominations for the Coronation Futurity, which is restricted to Canadian-bred 2-year-olds and will be run over 1 1/8 miles on Tapeta.

“I had always decided I wasn’t going to run him in both of those races,” Attfield said. “I said at the beginning that I’d probably only run him four times maximum. I’m sticking with that plan, so I didn’t even nominate him.”

Attfield said Tiz a Slam has come out of the Cup and Saucer in good order, but the trainer’s record of running horses in both races was a factor in the decision.

“It hasn’t worked out well for me with both of those races,” he said. “I’ve won both of them a couple of times, and then they never did carry on. He’s a really big horse, and four races is plenty for him as a 2-year-old.”

Attfield said Tiz a Slam, a Chiefswood Stable homebred, likely will race this winter and get a chance to run on dirt. While Tiz a Slam is eligible for the Queen’s Plate, Attfield didn’t rule out giving Tiz a Slam a shot to qualify for the Kentucky Derby.

“We want to see him on the dirt and how he acts on the dirt,” he said. “There’s no reason whatsoever why he wouldn’t be a dirt horse. If he’s good enough to go in the other group, then we could go that way, too. That’s why I’m trying to look after him right now. I’m not going to deny him that chance to be that kind of horse if that’s the way we should go.”