Tiztastic Unstoppable in Louisiana Derby, Earns Spot in 151st Kentucky Derby

The son of Tiz the Law delivered a stunning performance in the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds, securing 100 points on the road to the First Saturday in May

Tiztastic took a significant step forward from his effort in the Southwest Stakes / FAIR GROUNDS

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (Especial para Turf Diario).-Rallying from well off the pace, Tiztastic proved unstoppable down the stretch in the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith, Tiztastic won by 2 1/4 lengths over Chunk of Gold, adding 100 points for a new total of 119, qualifying him for the 151st Kentucky Derby.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Tiztastic covered the 1 3/16 miles in 1:56.20 under jockey Joel Rosario. The trainer and jockey combo teamed up to win the 2022 Louisiana Derby with Epicenter. Asmussen has now won five local derbies, tying Todd Pletcher for the record.

Tiztastic got away clean and settled along the rail as John Hancock got the jump on the field, leading his nine foes through hot opening fractions of :22.99 and :46.84. As Yinzer and Furio prompted the pace, Built and Chunk of Gold tracked the leaders waiting to make their forward move. Tiztastic began to advance up the backside and in the far turn began to build momentum. Built took the lead at the top of the stretch but soon began to tire as Chunk of Gold shot forward for the brief lead. After swinging four wide out of the turn, Tiztastic rallied past Chunk of Gold and with a furlong to go was in the clear.

Chunk of Gold finished strong for second, earning 50 points for a new total of 75, ensuring a spot in the Derby. Instant Replay flew from last for third, scoring his first 25 qualifying points. John Hancock battled back to finish fourth, adding 15 for a new total of 35. Built scored 10 points for running fifth and now has 45 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Sent off at 7-1, Tiztastic returned $17.00, $7.20, and $4.40. Chunk Of Gold paid $8.40 and $5.20. Instant Replay paid $5.20.

Bred by Capital Bloodstock in Kentucky, Tiztastic is by Tiz the Law and out of the Tapit mare Keesha. With a career record of 8-3-1-2, Tiztastic’s career earnings skyrocketed to $1,549,800.

Steven Asmussen says  “We thought he’d run bigger in the Southwest. Since he didn’t run his race and he had trained so well here, we brought him back here, knowing he needed more distance. He’s stepping forward when he needs to. The horse ahs got a great mind about him. He ran a solid race but I think there’s more in him”.

Meanwhile, Joel Rosario added: "We had a perfect trip. He did everything right. There was some traffic at the 600-meter mark, but he had the speed to get through. The pace was demanding, and I had the horse I needed to finish strong."