BALTIMORE — Belmont Stakes winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up Tiz the Law will skip the Oct. 3 Preakness Stakes, his owners announced Tuesday.
A potential rematch between Tiz the Law and Derby winner Authentic loomed as a leading storyline for the final race of the Triple Crown series. But Tiz the Law’s trainer, Barclay Tagg, opted to give his horse a longer rest in preparation for the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
“Disappointing that Tiz will not be able to run in the Preakness, our primary interest is doing what’s right for the horse & in this case he’s not ready,” owner Jack Knowlton of Sackatoga Stable, wrote on Twitter.
Knowlton initially said he wanted to run Tiz the Law in the Preakness after the heavy Derby favorite failed to pass Authentic down the stretch at Churchill Downs. But Tagg made his reservations clear, saying he did not see a clear purpose in going to Baltimore with no Triple Crown on the line.
“We really want to go into the Breeders’ Cup with a fresh, happy horse,” the 82-year-old trainer told the Daily Racing Form on Tuesday.
With Tiz the Law out of the Preakness field, focus will shift to a battle between Authentic and Art Collector, who was on track to be second choice in the morning line at the Derby before he was scratched with a minor foot injury.
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