Armed with a wonderful closing kick that she employed to great effect, this Cal-bred made herself into a state champion with her relentless drive to achieve the best result every time she left a starting gate.

Able to adapt to different tracks, she found her greatest success on turf, winning both black-type and graded stakes all over Southern California. Indeed, she earned the respect of horseplayers, for you could almost always count on her to be among the top finishers on race day.

Well before she became one of the principal players on the local turf scene, however, Tiz Flirtatious did her early work on the main tracks of Santa Anita and Hollywood Park in the fall of 2011. Revealing her greatest weapon at the start, she came from off the pace to win on debut at Santa Anita while going six furlongs. Completely happy to let someone else lead (which she did throughout her entire career), Tiz Flirtatious handled allowance company in Arcadia next time out before heading across the Southland to Hollywood Park for her stakes debut. Asked to try seven and one-half furlongs in the Cat's Cradle Handicap, she handled the task to finish up her juvenile campaign undefeated.

After a third against open company in the Grade II La Canada Stakes in early 2012, Tiz Flirtatious came back in the fall. For her comeback effort, trainer Marty Jones started her in the California Cup Distaff going down the hillside turf course. Off the pace early, the filly took to the unique course, blowing right by rivals in a highly impressive performance. On top of being another stakes win, the California Cup Distaff became a turning point for Tiz Flirtatious: after that day, she never competed on a surface other than turf again.

Tiz Flirtatious next earned a good second in both the Grade I Matriarch and Grade III Robert J. Frankel Stakes to wrap up 2012, showing great heart each time as she fought for those positions. While those races produced fine results that demonstrated the consistency of Tiz Flirtatious, the Matriarch and Frankel also served as tune-ups for what would be a career year for the daughter of Tizbud.

After winning the Valentine Dancer Stakes thanks to her patented closing move, Tiz Flirtatious would take up residence in the graded stakes ranks the rest of the year. As always, she was content to follow the leader, and her calling card propelled her to wins in the Grade II Santa Ana Stakes, Grade II John C. Mabee Stakes, and Grade I Rodeo Drive Stakes. And the race she didn't win during that period? Not disgraced in defeat, she finished second in the Grade I Gamely Stakes at Hollywood Park that spring. With multiple stakes victories between eight and ten furlongs, Tiz Flirtatious enjoyed a position in the upper echelon of the Southland's turf division.

The only off the board finishes for Tiz Flirtatious came in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and her second try in the Matriarch. But as was her custom, Tiz Flirtatious left nothing on the turf. She was sixth in the Filly & Mare Turf and fifth in the Matriarch, but she only lost each race by a couple of lengths as she still showed that competitive fire in the lowest finishes of her career.

But that final double is nothing more than a footnote for Tiz Flirtatious. She still produced great work for the majority of 2013, and that led her to being named California's Champion Older Female and Turf Horse for the Year. No one else could have won those awards that year.

After a career that saw her finish third or better almost every time, Tiz Flirtatious reached the pinnacle thanks to her talent and unwillingness to settle for anything but her best.