Tiz Dashing makes the grade with impressive G3 Hill Prince effort

Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz Dashing won his debut in September 2024 at Belmont at the Big A before putting together mostly competitive efforts without a return trip to the winner’s circle in his next seven starts. But the Barclay Tagg trainee earned an impressive stakes score on Saturday, finding room to the outside in the stretch and fending off a game Noble Confessor by a neck in the Grade 3, $200,000 Hill Prince, a nine-furlong inner turf test for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Tiz Dashing, ridden by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano from the outermost post, stayed off Noble Confessor’s pace as he led the nine-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 23.34 seconds, the half in 48.46 and three-quarters in 1:12.37 over firm going.

Castellano kept his charge within striking distance and, when headed for home, tapped into his reserve when daylight presented itself on the outside in the stretch. Tiz Dashing overtook Lazlo and the re-engaging Noble Confessor to his inside and pressed on, completing nine furlongs in 1:48.23.

Noble Confessor, under jockey Kendrick Carmouche, held off a gaining Church and State by 1 1/2 lengths for second, with Lazlo finishing fourth. Soleil Volant, Mayor of Midnight, Griffin’s Wharf, 4-5 favorite Stars and Strides and Thundering completed the order of finish.

Tiz Dancing is a son of New York-bred Tiz the Law, who won the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets in 2020 for Tagg and Sackatoga Stable. Tiz Dashing started his career with a win by a neck at the Big A 14 months ago.

After finishing second next out in the Listed Awad to close out his brief juvenile campaign, he ran a competitive third in the one-mile Grade 3 Manila in July on the Saratoga turf before running being elevated to third at the same distance and track in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame on August 1.

After an eighth-place finish in the one-mile Listed Gun Runner last out in September at Kentucky Downs, Tiz Dancing benefitted from a return to the Big Apple and thrived in stretching out to the longest distance of his career.

“Javier gave him a spectacular ride – it was exactly what we had hoped for, put him in a nice spot,” said Jack Knowlton of Sackatoga Stable. “A mile and an eighth – we weren’t sure – it’s the longest he’s gone, but we decided to take a shot. He’s had some bad luck, getting the 13 post out at Kentucky Downs [in the Gun Runner] and he was only beaten 4 1/2-lengths, but he came out of it well and we’re really happy to get a Grade 3 win.

“It’s very special,” Knowlton continued. “This horse [Tiz Dashing] is the only time we’ve ever bought a weanling. I was with the Coolmore guys at the sale, and they told me, ‘Jack, that’s the horse you want to buy.’ They were right."

Off at 7-1, Tiz Dancing returned $17.46 on a $2 win bet. He improved his career bankroll to $292,207 with the winner's share of $110,000.

“I had a perfect trip,” Castellano said. “That was what I looked for today: be in a good, target position, close to the pace, it seemed like my target could be two or three horses. I had a beautiful outside post, I saved ground in the first turn, covered up a little bit. The way it developed was the way I described it before the race. He is a good horse who showed up at Saratoga, too, in the graded stakes. At Kentucky Downs last time, he didn’t like it for whatever reason. He showed up in the right spot today at a mile and an eighth.”

Noble Confessor, who entered off a second-place finish behind Asbury Park in the local Grade 2 Jockey Club Derby on October 4, benefitted from Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher adding blinkers to his equipment.

“He was running good,” Carmouche said. “I thought he would fight back at the end, but I thought he’d get away from those horses to help me a little. He just never helped me. Once he saw that horse in front, he wanted to re-engage, but that was too late. Second best.”

Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack with a nine-race card, featuring the $150,000 Awad in Race 3. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern. 

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

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