Castellano Guides Tiz Dashing to G3 Canadian Turf Victory by 3¾ Lengths

Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz Dashing powered home to a clear 3¾-length victory in the Grade 3 Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park, covering 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:38.07. Ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano and trained by Barclay Tagg, the 4-year-old colt by Tiz the Law recorded his third career win and his second graded-stakes score while the race paid out $24.80 to bettors who backed him.

Castellano kept Tiz Dashing in the clear three wide, racing alongside Beach Gold in the second flight before moving into contention when Wolfie’s Dynaghost lost the lead after six furlongs in 1:08.71. Castellano found room, split horses once straightened for home and accelerated away from the field to open the 3¾-length margin. "My goal today was to get a forward position. Break well from the gate, get good position on the first turn, move up a little and keep track of the pace," ... "I really liked the way he did it today."

Owner Sackatoga Stable and racing manager Jack Knowlton credited preparation and recent training for the performance. "He showed up today. We know he’s been training really well. He had a bullet his last work up at Palm Meadows. Barclay and [assistant trainer] Robin [Smullen] have done just a fabulous job with him," Knowlton said after the $175,000 Canadian Turf, the 60th running of the stakes at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida.

The Bloodhorse table line for Tiz Dashing lists key pedigree and commercial details: sired by Tiz the Law out of Breaking Beauty, bred by Camas Park Stud in Kentucky, with a 2022 FTKNOV sale price of $215,000 and a TrueNicks rating of A++. The Bloodhorse entry also shows career earnings of $90,210 and notes broodmare sire Into Mischief.

Tiz Dashing’s win confirmed a pattern of improvement following a near miss in the Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream on Dec. 13, where he trailed all but one horse midway and had his rally come up just short, finishing second by a nose after encountering trouble. His previous graded victory came in the Hill Prince Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct last fall, establishing him as a multiple graded-stakes winner.

The Canadian Turf was the second of nine stakes on Gulfstream’s Feb. 28 card, a program that included eight graded events and $2.025 million in total stakes purses. The card featured the Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) with a $425,000 purse on the road to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby, while same-day headlines included Knightsbridge’s romp in the Gulfstream Park Mile and Lion Lake’s upset in the Herecomesthebride Stakes.

Tiz Dashing’s authoritative, tactical trip under Castellano and the workmanlike preparation noted by Knowlton and Tagg leave the colt established as a clear graded-stakes presence on turf this season.