Tiz a Minister goes first to last in Affirmed

"As good as he was

moving, I had them in my sights and all they had to do was come back to him a

little bit," Nakatani said. "I knew he was going to put in a tremendous run like he's been doing

in the morning. Credit (trainer) Paul (Aguirre) for what he's done with him.

I've been on him in the mornings and I was very confident."

"If they give him an

opportunity, he'll take it," Aguirre agreed. "When he was turning for home, I thought we could hit

the board. And then at the sixteenth, I was thinking he might get there.

"I told

(Nakatani) that was a great Calvin Borel imitation," he smiled. "That ride was definitely the

difference between winning and losing."

Den's Legacy also split horses on the second turn after racing near the rear

and closed strongly to catch his tiring stablemate Manando strides from the

wire, but could not keep pace with Tiz a Minister's speedy inside run. He had

three parts of a length to spare on the pacesetter, who in turn took third by 1

1/2 lengths over Dice Flavor. Completing the order under the wire were Just Win

Baby, Broadway Empire, Dirty Swagg and Counting Days.

"Everything was good," said jockey Garrett Gomez, who was aboard Den's

Legacy. "I thought the way the race would set up it was going to help Tiz a

Minister. And it kind of did. (:46.74 for the first half-mile) is pretty fast.

You didn't even see that Saturday (in the Californian). I thought I was in a

good spot, but I just couldn't quicken enough."

Tiz a Minister took six tries to break his maiden, getting the job done last

November over this track, but would capture the California Breeders' Champion in

just his second start this year. Third in the San Felipe next out, the dark bay

was best of the rest when fourth in the Santa Anita Derby and returned to be

third in the Snow Chief on Gold Rush Day as the even-money favorite last out.

Now boasting a 3-4-3 mark from 13 career starts, Tiz a Minister has

accumulated $420,780 in lifetime earnings.

"I've always had the opinion that he's a

middle distance horse, but we'll absolutely consider the (Grade 2, $150,000)

Swaps (going nine furlongs on July 4) if everything goes right," Aguirre said.

Bred in California by Dahlberg Farms, Tiz a Minister was a Barretts January

yearling RNA at $2,700 before finally selling for just $6,500 in the Barretts

October Yearling Sale. He is the first stakes winner out of the unraced Cee's

Tizzy mare Tiz a Mistress.

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