LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It was not quite the gathering they wanted. The Sackatoga Stable crew, decked out in Derby hats along with their face masks, some of those masks sporting Tiz the Law's name or their stable colors, lined up on the rail beneath the twin spires ready to enjoy the Kentucky Derby, regardless of the surreal circumstances of the day. They were in an ideal position to make a celebratory trek to the infield winner's circle. Instead, just over two minutes later, they stood somberly, trying to figure out what had happened with the shortest-priced Derby favorite in three decades, despite what both his jockey and owner referred to multiple times as a "perfect" trip.  "Obviously, we're disappointed," Sackatoga's Jack Knowlton, who celebrated a Derby win in 2003 with Funny Cide, said. "We were hoping to win, we thought we could win, and the other horse was tougher. [Jockey Manny Franco] rode him perfect." Tiz the Law's only career losses have come beneath the twin spires. After winning the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes to establish himself as a solid 2-year-old, the Barclay Tagg trainee was a troubled third in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs. This year, Tiz the Law came out rolling, winning the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes by three lengths, the Grade 1 Florida Derby by 4 1/4 lengths, and the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, shortened as the first leg of this year's re-imagined Triple Crown series, by 3 3/4 lengths. An emphatic victory in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at the Derby distance of 1 1/4 miles, in which he coasted by 5 1/2 lengths while geared down, made him the 3-5 favorite on Churchill oddsmaker Mike Battaglia's morning line for the Derby. That was the shortest price since the entry of Easy Goer and Awe Inspiring was 3-5 in 1989. :: Want to get your Past Performances for free? Click to learn more. And the heavy favorite had dead aim on pacesetter Authentic at the top of the lane in the Derby, sending his team into a frenzy. “Perfect," Franco said. "I thought I was going to be right there third or fourth, and the trip was perfect, no excuse. He just couldn’t go by the other horse. The other horse fight so hard." Knowlton also acknowledged Authentic's grit. "Typically, as we've seen, Tiz goes to the other horses and he goes by them," Knowlton said. "Today, Authentic didn't let him." John Velazquez confirmed that from his vantage point aboard Authentic. "He got head and head with me. He never passed him," Velazquez said. So while Velazquez waited to take a trip to the winner's circle, Franco was one of the 14 jockeys who rode back and unsaddled his horse after the race. The rider, saddle still in his arms, stopped by the outer rail of the track to speak to Tagg and Knowlton. "He gave me everything," Franco said. "You rode him perfect," Knowlton told him The owner was philosophical as his jockey walked away with his tack. "We're disappointed, but we finished second in the Kentucky Derby with a horse that's won three Grade 1s this year," he said. "Not too much shame in that. Manny couldn't have ridden a better race." Knowlton indicated that, if all is well with Tiz the Law, he will move on to the final leg of the 2020 Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes on Oct. 3 in Baltimore. "He'll be back," Knowlton said. "Hopefully, he'll come out of the race well, and we'll look to go on to Baltimore."