Always in a Tiz, Frac Daddy Await Decisions
By Blood-Horse Staff
Always in a Tiz, most recently ninth in the Wood Memorial (gr. I), breezed five furlongs in 1:01.12 on the morning of June 1 at Belmont Park for a possible start in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) in a week.
Meanwhile, Frac Daddy worked a bullet half-mile at Churchill Downs June 1 in :47 4/5 and is still under consideration for
the 1 1/2-mile final jewel in the Triple Crown.
Jockey David Cohen was up for Always in a Tiz' move, the second-fastest of eight on the main track. Always in a Tiz could also run in the $150,000 Easy Goer Stakes, part of the Belmont Stakes undercard June 8.
"He worked well this morning, and galloped out well," said Dominick Schettino, who trains Always in a Tiz for MeB Racing Stables and Brooklyn Boyz Stables. "I will speak to the owners tonight and we'll make a final decision after that."
The Tiznow colt, a maiden winner at Saratoga Race Course, was second to Vyjack in the Traskwood overnight stakes as a 2-year-old. Prior to the Wood he was third in the Smarty Jones and fifth in the Southwest (gr. III), both at Oaklawn Park.
A decision on the Belmont status of Frac Daddy likely would be made by June 3, trainer Ken McPeek said Saturday.
"I'm going to watch him train at Churchill the next couple of days and we'll decide Monday," McPeek said. "He seems to be going in the right direction. He's a really talented horse who had a lot of issues all spring, but I think he's beyond them now and we like the distance."
Runner-up to Overanalyze in the Arkansas Derby (gr. I), Frac Daddy most recently finished 16th in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). McPeek saddled Sarava to a 70-1 upset in the 2002 Belmont.
Several Belmont Stakes hopefuls will have key workouts at Belmont Park Sunday morning, including Kentucky Derby winner Orb and five prospective runners from trainer Todd Pletcher.
Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said that Orb will run in the Belmont if he breezes well Sunday. The Malibu Moon colt will go out at 6 a.m. with regular exercise rider Jennifer Pederson aboard.
Pletcher will send out Revolutionary, Palace Malice, Overanalyze, Midnight Taboo, and the filly Unlimited Budget in as-yet-to-be-determined squads at 6 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. on the main track. The first three are definite for Saturday's race, with the status of Unlimited Budget and Midnight Taboo dependent on how they work.
Giant Finish, currently based at Fair Hill, will ship to Belmont Park for a June 3 breeze, trainer Tony Dutrow said via telephone on Saturday.
"The people who own him want to give him the chance to show what he can do in the Belmont Stakes," said Dutrow, who added that Giant Finish will breeze on the main track after the renovation break.
Owned by a partnership headed by Andrew Cohen's Sunrise Stables, Giant Finish placed in the John Battaglia Memorial and the Spiral Stakes (gr. III) at Turfway Park in March before finishing 10th in the Kentucky Derby. On May 27, the New York-bred son of Frost Giant breezed four furlongs in :49 1/5 at Fair Hill.
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www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/78618/always-in-a-tiz-frac-daddy-await-decisions#ixzz2Uzym80pRPhoto: Rick SamuelsFrac Daddy