If you played word association and had to describe this Thoroughbred, the word "first" would be apropos.

He finished first eight times. He was the first to win two Breeders' Cup Classics. He was the first Cal-bred to win a Breeders' Cup race. He was the first Cal-bred to win Horse of the Year honors. And he was the first Cal-bred to clear $6 million in earnings.

All of that rightly makes him a legend among Thoroughbreds.

But no one foresaw any of those accomplishments when Tiznow debuted at Santa Anita towards the end of the Arcadia track's 2000 winter/spring meet. Set at boxcar odds while being asked to run six furlongs, he encountered trouble yet still managed to come in fourth while not that far from the winner. That would be the only time Tiznow experienced an off the board result.

That first outing seemed to convey that Tiznow would like going long, and perhaps the first race was a leg stretcher for the Cee's Tizzy progeny. In any case, Tiznow confirmed he was a router next time out at Hollywood Park. Going a mile and a sixteenth, he just missed out on the winner's purse, but he got the diploma next time out at the Track of the Lakes and Flowers. Going eight and one-half panels again, he blitzed his rivals by more than eight lengths.

Thus began one of the most memorable seasons ever produced by a Cal-bred.

After breaking his maiden, Tiznow would never show up in a sprint again. He also competed in nothing but graded stakes, starting with the Grade III Affirmed Stakes. In his first try against winners, he affirmed the connections' confidence by getting the trophy. It was a big win for the budding colt, and the Affirmed set him on course for a monster second half of the year.

Teaming up with jockey Chris McCarron (who would become his only rider from that point on), Tiznow took second in the Grade I Pacific Classic. That was significant because he was taking on older horses in a Grade I for the first time. That momentum took Tiznow to wins in the Grade I Super Derby and Grade II Goodwood Handicap (where he beat older horses outright) before he scored his biggest victory to date.

Sent to Churchill Downs for the 2000 Breeders' Cup Classic, Tiznow gave the fans a performance to remember, prevailing over a field that featured multiple Grade I winner Lemon Drop Kid, reigning Kentucky Derby champion Fusaichi Pegasus, and the impressive Giant's Causeway, who captured several Group I events in Europe. That hard-fought victory turned Tiznow into a decorated Thoroughbred, for he was awarded Champion Three-Year-Old and Horse of the Year honors at both the Eclipse and California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (CTBA) Awards. While certainly an impressive haul, one of those trophies stood alone because of its historical implications.

Before the 2000 season, no Cal-bred had ever won the Eclipse for Horse of the Year. But Tiznow bucked the trend with his powerful campaign while simultaneously ensuring his name would be spoken of in his home state for all time.

Southern California racing certainly had great pride in one of its native horses having such a fabulous campaign, and the circuit must have been estatic throughout 2001 as Tiznow was primarily based in the Southland. With trainer Jay Robbins leading the way, Tiznow made his presence felt at Santa Anita, finishing no worse than second in three starts. His biggest win of the meet came in the Santa Anita Handicap, again proving he could handle a mile and a quarter. A stop at Belmont Park that summer resulted in a third in the Grade I Woodward (which saw Albert the Great get some revenge from the Breeders' Cup Classic with his runner up effort), followed by another third in the Goodwood. That prepared Tiznow for a return trip to Belmont Park.

One year after the 2000 Breeders' Cup, The United States was still reeling from the sudden attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. The occasion was not lost to those at Belmont, but Tiznow injected a moment of euphoria to a country and a state that badly needed it. Doing battle with Sakhee after spending much of the Classic in striking distance, Tiznow held off the recent Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner by a scant margin as Belmont track announcer Tom Durkin thundered to the world that the 2000 Horse of the Year won it for America.

Already a hero in California, Tiznow entered the pantheon of immortal Cal-breds thanks to his victory in the Classic. Not only did he become the first two-time winner of the Grade I, he retired as the highest earning state-bred horse of all time with well over $6.4 million. He held that record for almost fifteen years, with California Chrome the only one to top him as of 2021. And another Eclipse came his way, this time as Champion Older Male. And the CTBA? They also named him Champion Cal-bred Older Male along with Horse of the Year for the second straight season, putting the cap on one of the most distinguished careers ever crafted by a Cal-bred.

As with many champions, Tiznow made the transition from racehorse to stallion. Though he has since been pensioned, the two-time Breeders' Cup Classic winner has sired several winners of note:

-Folklore: 2005 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and Champion Two-Year-Old Filly.

-Bear Now: Multiple graded stakes winner, including the Grade II Fitz Dixon Cotillion Handicap in 2007 and Grade III Kentucky Cup Distaff in 2008. She earned a Champion Older Mare Sovereign Award in 2008.

-Slew's Tizzy: Multiple Grade II and III winner, with the Grade II Lexington (2007) and Grade III Native Diver Handicap (2008) among his scores.

-Well Armed: Winner of the Grade II San Antonio and San Diego Handicaps in 2008, and the Group I Dubai World Cup in 2009. Earned well over $5 million in career earnings.

-Colonel John: Winner of the Grade I Santa Anita Derby and Travers Stakes in 2008.

-Tizway: Captured the Grade I Metropolitan and Whitney Handicaps in 2011.

-Tourist: 2016 Fourstardave Handicap (Grade I) and Breeders' Cup Mile (Grade I) champion.

-And despite not competing in any of the Triple Crown races, Tiznow has managed to get a taste of success in the series, siring 2008 Belmont Stakes winner Da'Tara.

Greatly loved throughout his career, Tiznow is still one of the most popular horses of the century. He will always be considered one of the best Cal-breds in history, and is among the most prolific to ever come out of the Golden State. He was a horse who had no fears about throwing it down in the stretch, and he showed he could be tough as nails underneath that mesmerizing bay coat.

Every year, fans can take in the Tiznow Stakes at Santa Anita. Restricted to Cal-breds, it gives his fans a chance to remember the greatness he displayed on track. And for the winning horse, finishing first in the race might prove to be the latest step towards becoming the next great Cal-bred.

But when it comes to the first few years of the 2000s, no Cal-bred could claim to be as great or popular as the awesome and stout Tiznow.