Tizway to bring back James Bond Whitney glory in the 6 August Whitney Handicap at Saratoga
The veteran trainer, James Bond, is aiming at the $750,000, Grade 1 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga race course to be held on 6 August, 2011, with his Grade 1 Met Mile's winner, Tizway.
James Bond hasn’t participated in the prestigious Saratoga race that much, but when he did, he most certainly made an impact.
Back in 1997 Bond got Will’s Way running in the Whitney Handicap and in the same race Will’s Way competed against his archrivals, Skip Away and Formal Gold.
Bond got lucky that day and Will’s Way brought home the Whitney by a nose over his rivals.
Two years later, James Bond got back with Behrens, who couldn’t stand the duel with Victory Gallop and lost by a nose.
Behrens' 2000 outing at the Saratoga race course ended with him finishing 3rd. Now William Clifton Jr., also a part owner of Will’s Way and Behrens, fully owns Tizway, who is back to run for Bond in the Whitney Handicap.
The six-year-old son of Tiznow, had plenty of success in the 1 mile events throughout his career and, now he is gearing up for the 9 furlong event.
Back in 2009 Tizway won the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, which is run at a distance of 1 ¼ miles.
Under jockey, Rajiv Maragh, Tizway ran a spirited race at the dirt course of Belmont Park, but was not able to trump either of Summer Bird and Quality Road, who finished first and second, respectively.
Prior to the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, was the 2009 edition of the Whitney Handicap where Tizway finished fourth in the 1 1/8 mile event under usual jockey, Rajiv Maragh. This gave James Bond a Whitney superfecta, with first two finishes and a third
and a fourth in the 1 1/8 mile event on dirt.
James Bond can assess Tizway and, see if the mile and an eighth is too much for the horse or not.
Bond is optimistic that the distance would not be an issue, but all of this will give them a clearer picture whether to go for the Jockey Club Gold Cup this year and then on to his ultimate goal the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The son of Tiznow is out of Bethany by Dayjur and before coming out off a win in the Met Mile, his last win was back in 2010 in the Grade 2 Kelso, also run at a mile.
Rajiv Maragh guided the horse to his first Grade 2 races of the year in 1 minute and 34.42 seconds.
Whitney has attracted a very good bunch of horses, with the likes of Morning Line, Apart, Mission Impazible, Giant Oak, among others.
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