Throughout the winter, debates about early 2020 Kentucky Derby favorite Tiz the Law came back to his last out defeat, in which a bobble at the break cost him a victory at Churchill Downs.

Jack Knowlton, head of the Sackataga Stable partnership campaigning Tiz the Law, heard “a lot of buzz out there. He isn’t really what we thought he was. He isn’t that good”.

Returned Saturday (February 1) in the Gulfstream Park entries, the three-year-old son of Constitution put together the type of professional victory in the Grade 3, $250,000 Holy Bull Stakes that should silence some of those doubts.

Under jockey Manny Franco, Tiz the Law spurted out of the gate fastest in a field of seven, overcame a bit of traffic trouble up the Gulfstream Park backstretch, and took over with command once asked by Franco.

The Barclay Tagg trainee, a New York-bred running for the 2003 Derby winner Funny Cide’s connections, dashed past Ete Indien before the quarter pole and cruised home in 1:42.04 for 1 1/16 miles.

Ete Indien, a local allowance winner, was three lengths back at the wire with another 11 1/2 lengths to Toledo in third. Relentless Dancer ran fourth, with each of those runners paid out Derby qualifying points on a 10-4-2-1 basis.

Knowlton said Tiz the Law could proceed to the Louisiana Derby (G2), duplicating the path taken by Funny Cide.

Tiz the Law was away at 6-5, a few ticks above his 3-5 morning line, and returned US$4.60 — that despite anywhere from 60 to 80 Sackatoga partners and their families trying to cram into the winners’ circle.

“Gulfstream’s been great to us,” he said, “and we’re just so excited to get this win.”

It wasn’t without one hold-your-breath moment. After Ete Indien surged up to set the pace, going in 23.31 and 46.60 to open proceedings, the long-shot Clear Destination fell short of his name, ducking for the same piece of the track as Tiz the Law. Franco had to pull up his mount and guide Tiz the Law off the rail. Once in the clear, a sustained rally to the front began.

The colt improved to 3-0-1 in four starts, adding to his debut Saratoga victory and one-turn score in the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. In Churchill’s November 30 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), Tiz the Law ran into trouble on a sloppy track after a slow start, getting boxed in most of the way.

Connections relocated Tiz the Law to Florida where he worked consistently up to the Holy Bull, including last Sunday’s bullet breeze at the Palm Meadows Training Center.