Making a Hall of Fame Case

Hall of Fame inductions define careers and those who made significant contributions to that area, whether it is music, sports, or even science. They also create debates and discussions for inductees and those who did not get nominated or inducted.
Thoroughbred racing is no different.

As the Class of 2025 will be inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame on Friday, Jack Knowlton, operating manager of Sackatoga Stable, is hoping that two notables will some day get their recognition: the late Funny Cide and trainer Barclay Tagg.

Funny Cide catapulted Sackatoga Stable to national recognition by winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 2003, which eventually gave him the Eclipse Award for 3-year-old male champion. The gelding, who was foaled at the McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbred Farm in Saratoga Springs, won 11-of-38 (for earnings of more than $3.5 million), including the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes, before retiring at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington until his passing on July 16, 2023.

“Certainly, I think Funny Cide deserves to be there,” Knowlton said. “He had over ten 100 Beyer figures in a row. We won 11 races. He was second and third in a lot of stakes races. We went to a lot of different racetracks and ran well in stakes races. He went to Woodbine as a 6-year-old and won a Grade 2 race up there. That’s my barometer.”

Along with advocating for Funny Cide, Knowlton is hoping that his long-time trainer Barcley Tagg is recognized for his accomplishments and role as a horseman. Tagg, who worked with Ruffian as assistant to Hall of Famer Frank Whiteley Jr., has won over 1,600 races, with nearly $67 million in earnings over a career that has expanded more than five decades. Along with the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, Tagg won the Belmont Stakes, Florida Derby, Champagne, and Travers with Tiz the Law, as well as multiple Grade 1 races with horses like Showing Up, Tale of Ekati, Nobiz Like Shobiz, Island Fashion, Bit of Whimsey, and Jersey Town.

“I think he should be there on what he has accomplished with the stock he has had to work with,” Knowlton said. “He has a number of Grade 1 winners when you look at the list. How many trainers have won all three legs of the Triple Crown without winning the Triple Crown? And doing it with New York-breds! I know he is highly respected by all of his peers.”

Knowlton is hoping to add more onto Tagg’s expansive resume in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga Race Course with Tiz Dashing, a 3-year-old colt by Tiz the Law. Tiz Dashing comes into the race off a strong third-place finish to Zulu Kingdom—beaten only a length—in the Grade 3 Manila Stakes during the July 4th Racing Festival at Saratoga. That was the first graded stakes test for Tiz Dashing, who trained at Saratoga last year before winning his debut at Aqueduct. With the exception of the Kitten’s Joy Stakes at Gulfstream Park, Tiz Dashing has finished within a length of the winner in his other four races, including last year’s Awad Stakes, where he was beaten by a head.

“We took a shot in the Manila. That was kind of ambitious,” Knowlton said. “He ran a game race and got beat by a horse who won a Grade 1 race on [Kentucky] Derby Day. He jumped up significantly. Nobody expected much from him in his last race. I think he’s got some credibility.”

Coming into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes, Tiz Dashing again faces a competitive field with Zulu Kingdom, last year’s Skidmore winner Out on Bail, multiple stakes winner Tank, and European shipper Luther.

“It looks like it’s going to be a challenging race with a lot of good horses in there,” Knowlton said. “He’s stakes-placed twice already, including a graded race. Hopefully, the best is yet to come.”

Knowlton also has two more horses by Tiz the Law: O’Bay the Law and Spirit of the Law.

O’Bay the Law, purchased for $170,000 as a yearling at October’s Fasig-Tipton Sales in Keeneland, has yet to race, but he has been posting respectable workouts. Knowlton is hoping O’Bay the Law can make his first start sometime in August.

“We’ll see if he can take to the turf. If he does, he should be ready to run next month,” he said.

Spirit of the Law, sold to Sackatoga Stable for $60,000 as a yearling at the 2023 Saratoga Fasig-Tipton New York-bred sales, is still looking for his first career win as he has finished third twice—once on the turf and once on the synthetic surface—in three starts this year.

Since retiring from racing after 6-of-9 career races and now standing at Coolmore in Kentucky, Tiz the Law has become a promising sire by already producing graded stakes winners who have sold for respectable prices as yearlings and 2-year-olds in training.

Some of these horses include the following: Tiztastic, winner of the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby who sold for $335,000 at Keeneland in September 2023; Out on Bail, who sold for $110,000; and Cloe, a listed stakes winner who sold for $145,000. Both Out on Bail and Cloe were part of last year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales in Florida.

This year’s 2-year-olds in training sales at Ocala also produced eye-opening results with an unnamed Tiz the Law colt selling for $1.5 million. Other 2-year-olds sired by Tiz the Law sold at the sale included Beutane for $1.15 million, Valley Princess for $1.05 million, and Tiz Authority for $825,000.

“It’s really kind of neat to see all of these horses that he sired,” Knowlton said. “They are good horses and they are selling for good money. He’s very popular having sired 2-year-olds this year. Coolmore advised me on the ‘Tizzies’ that were there when we purchased Tiz Dashing as a weanling. They said, ‘Jack, that’s the one you want to buy.’ I took their advice and I have no regrets.”

Knowlton also doesn’t regret being the face of Sackatoga Stable. While he may not consider himself as Hall of Fame status, he is grateful for the success over the last 25 years, especially since his partnership has brought about 300 people into ownership and breeding.

“We’ve done a lot in 25 years and are highlighted by the success of Funny Cide and Tiz the Law, arguably the most successful New York-breds of all time,” Knowlton said. “Over that period, we’ve brought over 200-300 people into Thoroughbred ownership. Several have spun off and formed their own and others have gone into breeding operations.

“I’m grateful for Barclay and assistant trainer Robin Smullen not only for the training job they do, but also for serving as Sackatoga Stable’s bloodstock advisers,” he added. “We haven’t spent a lot of money buying exclusively New York-breds, except for the two Kentucky-breds sired by Tiz the Law. We’re about having fun. That’s what we tell our people. We will show you a good time, hopefully win some races, and everybody will enjoy the sport of kings.”