‘Slam’ Looks to Dunk Northern Dancer

[Wandering Eyes]

Tiz a Slam (Tiznow) has shown remarkable consistency on the Woodbine turf and tries to add his third score of the season over the E.P. Taylor course in Saturday’s GI Northern Dancer Turf S. Victorious in the GIII Ontario Derby at three, the Chiefswood runner kicked his game up a notch this summer. A front-running winner of the July 1 GIII Dominion Day S. on the Tapeta, he added a score over Mekhtaal (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and Johnny Bear (English Channel) in the 12-furlong GII Nijinsky S. July 22. Favored in his latest, Tiz a Slam was runner-up behind winner Utmost (Giant’s Causeway) in the 11-furlong GII Sky Classic S. Looking to get back on track here, Mekhtaal, who under the care of Jean-Claude Rouget recorded his most important career victory in last season’s G1 Prix d’Ispahan at Chantilly, failed to reproduce that form in three subsequent starts last term, including a 10^th-place finishes in the GI Arlington Million and the GI Turf Classic Invitational–his debut for U.S.-based trainer Graham Motion–at Belmont in September. The chestnut looks to take a step forward following his runner-up finish in the Nijinsky earlier this summer. Also representing the trans-Atlantic contingent is dual Group 1-victor Hawbill (Kitten’s Joy). Winner of the G1 Coral-Eclipse at three, he added a score in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic last season. Winless in three starts at the highest since, the Godolphin runner finished fourth most recently in this year’s renewal of the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown July 7.

View the full article