Galvin Lands Grade 2 Winner, Kentucky Derby Starter Tiz The Bomb For $50,000 At Keeneland April Sale

Tiz the Bomb, a seven-figure earner who ran in the 2022 Kentucky Derby, will have a new owner after selling Friday evening to Fergus Galvin for $50,000 at the Keeneland April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale, but his final destination was still to be determined after the ticket was signed.

"I just bought him on spec," said Galvin, a managing partner of Hunter Valley Farm in Versailles, Ky. "I'll find a client for him...I'll call a few people tonight. I'm sure there will be takers. I might even syndicate him out, group a few people together. We'll see."

Tiz the Bomb has won five of 21 career starts for earnings of $1,099,099. 

Kenny McPeek has trained the 5-year-old Hit It a Bomb gelding throughout his career, most recently saddling him for Brookdale Racing. Gainesway consigned Tiz the Bomb at the Keeneland April sale, as agent.

Tiz the Bomb earned the bulk of his money and acclaim during his 2-year-old campaign, starting with a victory in his second career start by 14 1/4 lengths. Then, he rolled off wins in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile Stakes and the Grade 2 Bourbon Stakes before finishing second to Modern Games in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar.

He settled in at Turfway Park during the Kentucky Derby prep season, where he won the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, then clinched his spot at Churchill Downs with a 2 1/4-length score in the G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks. 

Tiz the Bomb was slow out of the gate in the Kentucky Derby, and he gained positioning late to finish ninth.

He was moved back to the turf after the Derby, but he has been winless since the 2022 Jeff Ruby Steaks. The gelding most recently finished sixth in the Prairie Bayou Stakes on Dec. 23 at Turfway Park.

"He's a neat horse," Galvin said. "If he maybe drops a grade somewhere, there's plenty of prize money for his type. He probably just needs a little bit of confidence. I talked to Kenny, and there were no real issues with the horse. He's a million-dollar earner. If we can rekindle his past days, it could be a good buy."

Bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm, Tiz the Bomb is out of the winning Tiznow mare Tiz the Key, who is the dam of two winners from five foals to race. His extended family includes European champion Gay Gallanta.