Tiz the Law 6-5 favorite for Curlin Florida Derby

Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law surged to the top of the list of 2020 Triple Crown candidates with a dominating triumph in the Feb. 1 Holy Bull (Grade 3) at Gulfstream Park, where the son of Constitution will try to cement his No. 1 ranking in Saturday’s $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

The 1 1⁄8-mile Florida Derby for 3-year-olds will be the main event on a 14-race program (first-race post, 11:30 a.m.) featuring 10 stakes, six graded, worth $1.825 million in purses. The $200,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) presented by Fasig-Tipton and the $200,000 Kitten’s Joy Pan American (G2) will be highlights on the Florida Derby undercard, along with the $100,000 Hal’s Hope (G3), the $100,000 Orchid presented by Rood & Riddle (G3) and the $100,000 Appleton (G3).

The full Florida Derby Day program will be livestreamed at www.gulfstreampark.com with wagering available at www.xpressbet.com and www.1stbet.com.

Tiz the Law’s 2020 debut became all the more impressive when Ete Indien, who finished three lengths behind him in the Holy Bull, went on to produce an eyecatching 8 1⁄2-length frontrunning victory in the Feb. 29 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park in his absence.

The Barclay Tagg-trained colt will also try to cement a place in the starting gate for the 2020 Kentucky Derby (G1), which has been postponed from May 2 to Sept. 5, when he takes on 12 rivals (not counting an also-eligible entrant), including Ete Indien, in the 69th running of the Florida Derby. The Florida Derby winner will earn 100 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby.

Although Tiz the Law bypassed the Fountain of Youth, his connections are confident that their 6-5 morning-line favorite who drew post position No. 7 will be up to the task of maintaining his top ranking in the Florida Derby.

Gulfstream continues to run despite a report in the Sun Sentinel that the City of Hallandale Beach wanted the track to halt racing.

“Our priority during these challenging times is the health and well-being of our employees and the horses we all love and care for,” said Bill Badgett, executive directory of Florida racing operations for The Stronach Group. “Racehorses are living, breathing animals that require constant supervision and care. It would be detrimental to their health, safety and welfare to stand in their stalls without daily exercise. There are over 3,200 horses that call Gulfstream Park home and our training and racing is being conducted by essential personnel only who are operating under stringent measures for protection that are aligned with the best guidance from health and governmental authorities. We value our relationship with the City of Hallandale and any suggestion of legal action during this time is false.”