Two-time grade 1 winner Tizway, who stood stud for 13 years in America, Australia, South Korea, and Turkey, has died of a heart attack at Karacabey Stud in Turkey. Murat Sancal, a Lexington-based trainer and bloodstock agent, confirmed the passing of the 19-year-old son of Tiznow March 2.
Out of the Dayjur mare Bethany, Tizway was bred in Kentucky by Whisper Hill Farm. He earned $1,359,274 while winning seven of 20 starts for owner William Clifton Jr. and trainer H. James Bond. His most notable victories were the final two races of his career—the 2011 Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and Whitney Invitational Handicap (G1). His winning time in the Met Mile was 1:32.90.
In 2012 Tizway retired to stud at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, where he stood for six years and also shuttled to Australia. In 2017 he was exported to South Korea, then in 2019 purchased by Turkey's Nimet Arif Kurtel in a deal brokered by Sancal and Sean Nix.
Tizway enjoyed a career renaissance in Turkey, where he sired multiple Turkish champion filly 2019 Horse of the Year The Last Romance and several contenders for this year's Turkish Derby. Tizway was Turkey's leading sire of 2-year-olds in 2023, and his stud fee grew to approximately US$20,000 in 2024, when he was booked to 130 mares, Sancal said.
"He was a dirt horse, but his progeny started running very well on turf, and we really liked that. He has the undefeated Derby favorite this year," Sancal said. "There was a lot of interest in him, and we were selective with his book. He was breeding one mare a day, and he was a pretty happy horse."
Sancal said Tizway was being prepped to breed when the heart attack occurred. Sancal estimated that Tizway will have sired about 400 foals in Turkey when all is said and done.
"He will have a legacy here," Sancal said. "He was a very good horse."
According to Equineline, through March 1 Tizway has 10 crops of racing age, with four graded winners including grade 3 winner The Critical Way and grade 2 winner Backyard Heaven; 20 black-type stakes winners, and progeny earnings of $22, 869,776.
