2 May. USA. Crown Royal American Turf S. G3. Churchill Downs. 8,5f. Turf. 150.000 $
1.- TIZDEJAVU (G.Gomez)
2.- SAILOR´S CAP (E.Prado)
3.- NISTLE'S CRUNCH (C.Borel)


Tizdejavu was an appropriately named horse as a front-running winner of the $181,950 Crown Royal American Turf (G3) on Friday at Churchill Downs given that speed has reigned supreme on grass racing all week at the Louisville track.

Under Garrett Gomez and in his turf debut, Tizdejavu doled out fractions of :24.64, :49.15, and 1:13.96 on the yielding turf course. Nistles Crunch tracked on the rail in second and Halo Najib was outside of him in third.

Favored Sailor’s Cap was in the third tier of horses but wide on both turns under Edgar Prado. The Keeneland allowance winner challenged the eventual winner in deep stretch but could not make up enough ground as Tizdejavu completed the 1 1/16-mile course in 1:46.14, winning by a neck. Nistle’s Crunch and Halo Najib stayed on for third and fourth, respectively. Halo Najib was excluded from the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) because of insufficient earnings in graded stakes.

“He was starting to get a little tired; it’s deep out there;” Gomez said. “He showed me he’s got some real ability. It was a pleasure to be on him.”

Greg Fox trains Tizdejavu for breeders Michael Cooper and Pamela Ziebarth. The colt is by Tiznow out of the winning Dixie Brass mare Remember When. Tizdejavu has won two of five starts, never been worse than third, and has earned $137,315.

“I worked him on the grass at Keeneland, and it may not look like much having been done in :51.80, but it was the cliché: it was the way he did it,” Fox said. “He went :29.00 for the first quarter and :22.80 for the last quarter showing he could really quicken.”