Romans Calls Tiz Mischief One Of His 'Better 2-Year-Olds' Ahead Of Kentucky Jockey Club
Tiz Mischief at Keeneland
Trainer Dale Romans has always described long-term owner Frank Jones Jr. as a “father figure” and the duo look to the future with Tiz Mischief, a probable entrant for Saturday’s $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) at Churchill Downs.
“Frank has always supported me throughout my life,” Romans said. “This horse has a very bright future ahead of him. He’s still learning but is starting to really come together.”
Tiz Mischief, a 2-year-old colt by Into Mischief, rallied from last to break his maiden by one length on Oct. 7 at Keeneland.
“I definitely think he’s one of my better 2-year-olds for the future,” Romans said after Tiz Mischief breezed five furlongs in 1:01 Saturday at Churchill Downs. “He’s really impressed me so far in his career and I think we’ll take a shot with him in the Jockey Club.”
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Jones, a former top client of Romans’ father Jerry, is the Vice President of the Kentucky HBPA and serves on the Board of Directors for the Kentucky Racing Health and Welfare Fund as well as the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners.
“Frank Jones is the single most important person in my life to this day outside of my father, who died at (age) 57,” Romans said. “I was young when I took over the barn and Frank was there. Frank was there the day I was born. Dad and Frank were friends before of the two of them had two nickels to rub together. He’s had two trainers in all of the years he’s had racehorses and that was my father and me. Without him, I don’t know where I would be in life let alone horseracing.”
Romans and Jones are no strangers to major stakes races, most notably teaming up when Jones’ homebred Tapitsfly won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GI) in 2009. Some of Jones’ other major horses include 2016 Preakness Stakes (GI) runner-up Cherry Wine, 2017 Regret Stakes (GIII) winner Sweeping Paddy, 2015 TaWee Stakes third-place finisher Flying Tipat, and 2009 Grand Canyon Handicap winner Lost Aptitude.
“He’s also one of the most important people to Kentucky racing that nobody really knows or talks about,” Romans said. “Between 30 years on the (Kentucky) HBPA board negotiating all the contracts and working with people like (former Churchill Downs Incorporated president and CEO) Tom Meeker or (Churchill Downs Incorporated Chief Executive Officer) Bill Carstanjen that see him as an equal to make racing better, to all of his years on the (Kentucky) Horse Racing Commission board, he’s always been up-to-date on things in the game and absolutely has been one of the biggest players to make Kentucky racing what it’s become.”
Tiz Mischief could be joined in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club by stablemate Promises Fulfilled, according to Romans.
The Kentucky Jockey Club shares the spotlight with the $200,000 Golden Rod (GII) on the Nov. 25 “Stars of Tomorrow II” program at Churchill Downs that features all 2-year-old races. The Kentucky Jockey Club will award points to the top four finishers on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” on a 10-4-2-1 scale.
