Rain Wouldn’t Bother Tiznow

Should the track come up muddy for the San Fernando Breeders’ Cup Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita, it will bring back good memories for Tiznow’s trainer, Jay Robbins.

In 1990, Flying Continental rallied on an off surface to give Robbins his only win in the middle leg of the Strub series.

One of the richest California-breds in history, Flying Continental returned to win the Strub three weeks later.

Tiznow, who will be making his first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs, could see something other than a fast track for the first time in his career this weekend.

Rain began to fall during the races on Wednesday. More is forecast for today and possibly Friday.

As a son of Cee’s Tizzy, Tiznow, who will probably be named the horse of the year for 2000 when the Eclipse Awards are announced Jan. 30, should be able to handle a wet surface. The plan is for him to make his 4-year-old debut in the Grade II San Fernando.

“A little rain wouldn’t bother me,” Robbins said. “Most of the Cee’s Tizzys seem to take well to the mud. I think Budroyale [Tiznow’s full brother] won a couple on an off track.

“The only way he wouldn’t start is if [jockey] Chris [McCarron] doesn’t like how the track turns up on Saturday.”

Never worse than second in eight starts around two turns, Tiznow, who has been bothered by some foot problems, had his final major drill for the San Fernando when he worked seven furlongs in 1:26 3/5 on Saturday.

Shortened to 1 1/16 miles in 1998, the San Fernando is a race that has been kind to McCarron. The Hall of Fame rider has won it four times since 1993, most recently with 10-1 shot Northern Afleet in 1997. In all, McCarron has won the race six times. Besides Northern Afleet, his other victories came aboard Precisionist (1985), Mi Preferido (1989), Bertrando (1993), Zignew (1994) and Helmsman (1996).

When entries are taken this morning, Tiznow could have as many as six opponents for Saturday’s race. The probable second choice is Wooden Phone, who was third in the seven-furlong Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26.

Owned by a partnership and trained by Bob Baffert, who won the 1998 San Fernando with Silver Charm, Wooden Phone has won once in five starts since being purchased privately after he won a maiden race in Florida by 13 1/2 lengths as a 2-year-old.

The other probable starters are Walkslikeaduck, who will be trying the main track for the first time since June 23, New Advantage, Nurdlinger, Capo Di Capo and Remember Sheikh. Grey Memo is considered possible, although he could run instead in Sunday’s $100,000 Sensational Star Handicap, a sprint race restricted to California-breds.