Tiz The Bomb back on dirt for the Jockey Club Stakes

Phoenix Thoroughbreds‘ exciting Graded Stakes winner Tiz The Bomb will revert to racing on dirt when he takes his chance in Saturday’s G2 Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The Hit It A Bomb colt hasn’t competed on the main track since his 14 lengths plus maiden victory at Ellis Park on his second career start. Since then, the two-year-old has proven one of the most exciting turf prospects in North America. A win in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile Stakes was followed by an impressive score in the G2 Castle And Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland. Most recently, Kenny McPeek’s charge ran a fast-closing second in this year’s controversial running of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Tuf.

Exciting Graded Stakes winner Tiz The Bomb reverts to the main track on Saturday to take on 13 rivals in the G2 Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs // Jon Durr/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup //

“Tiz the Bomb has done everything right from the beginning,” McPeek said. “I just want to get one more run into him on the dirt, especially at Churchill, before the end of the season. He’s done well coming out of California and seems to be an easy horse to handle, and certainly a good spot for him.”

Tiz The Bomb will break from gate six against 13 rivals, with regular rider Brian Hernandez Junior opting to maintain the partnership instead of defecting to McPeek’s other runner in the race.

“We’ve always thought highly of him from the start,” Hernandez Jr. said. “Before the Juvenile Turf he handled things professionally when we were waiting behind the gate during the scratch situation. He ran a really good effort to finish second after we got back a little bit farther than we planned at the start.”