Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Tiz the Bomb
Tiz the Bomb (Photo by Coady Photography)
March 7th, 2022
A blowout maiden victory on dirt. Two stakes wins on turf. Triumphs in the John Battaglia Memorial S. and Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on Tapeta at Turfway Park. Is there any racing surface Tiz the Bomb can’t handle?
So far, the answer is no. But whether Tiz the Bomb can handle every surface equally is a key question to answer when Tiz the Bomb pursues a start in the Kentucky Derby (G1) racing 1 1/4 miles on dirt at Churchill Downs.
Tiz the Bomb’s greatest successes have come on turf and Tapeta and at first glance, this is in tune with his pedigree. Tiz the Bomb is a son of Hit It a Bomb, a stakes winner on synthetic who scored his signature victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) racing one mile on grass. Hit It a Bomb, in turn, is a son of War Front out of the Sadler’s Wells mares Liscanna, which is a European-centric pedigree dotted with significant turf influences.
Tiz the Bomb Pedigree
| - | - | - | - |
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Danzig, 1977 | |||
War Front, 2002 | |||
Starry Dreamer, 1994 | |||
Hit It a Bomb, 2013 | |||
Sadler's Wells, 1981 | |||
Liscanna (IRE), 2004 | |||
Lahinch (IRE), 1999 | |||
Tiz the Bomb, 2019 | |||
Cee's Tizzy, 1987 | |||
Tiznow, 1997 | |||
Cee's Song, 1986 | |||
Tiz the Key, 2011 | |||
A.P. Indy, 1989 | |||
Cabbage Key, 2004 | |||
Mayville's Magic, 1999 |
But War Front has sired a few top-level dirt runners, including Preakness S. (G1) winner War of Will, and pegging Hit It a Bomb as a sire of turf horses is surely premature. He hasn’t sired many foals yet, but Hit It a Bomb’s daughter Hit Emerit won the Gran Premio Seleccion de Potrancas (G1) on dirt in Argentina, and his U.S.-based son Weston nabbed the Best Pal S. (G2) over the Del Mar main track.
Tiz the Bomb’s female family contains even stronger dirt influences. While dam Tiz the Key was successful on turf (winning a 1 1/4-mile allowance optional claimer over the Santa Anita lawn), she broke her maiden on dirt and has already foaled the four-time dirt winner Marble Moon.
Tiz the Key, in turn, is a daughter of Tiznow, renowned as the only two-time winner of the 1 1/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). With few exceptions, Tiznow is known for siring long-winded dirt runners, including 1 1/2-mile Belmont S. (G1) winner Da’ Tara, 1 1/4-mile Dubai World Cup (G1) hero Well Armed, and 1 1/4-mile Travers S. (G1) winner Colonel John.
Can a horse's sire indicate which race conditions he or she will relish?@J_Keelerman certainly thinks so!
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) September 29, 2021
He explains 👇 https://t.co/6F0AeqAzs6
Tiznow’s record as a broodmare sire trends in a similar direction, with his daughters foaling such noteworthy runners as 1 1/8-mile Belmont S. (G1) winner Tiz the Law, 1 1/8-mile Stephen Foster H. (G1) winner Noble Bird, and Cotillion S. (G1) winner It Tiz Well.
Sometimes, a pedigree can be correctly interpreted at a glance. But in the case of Tiz the Bomb, a brief perusal can lead to the wrong conclusion. Yes, his sire was a turf horse, but there are enough dirt influences in Tiz the Bomb’s pedigree to suggest the Kentucky Derby is a viable goal.
