Jeff Bonde points Smiling Tiger to the Golden Shaheen next March
Alan Klein, Philip Lebherz and Mersad Metanovic owned 5-year-old, Smiling Tiger, returned to winning ways in the Grade 3 Vernon O. Underwood Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park on 2
December, 2012, and now is all set for another six furlong race in January.
Jeff Bonde trained, Smiling Tiger, is pointed toward the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes, which is run over a distance of 6 furlongs over the Santa Anita Park’s dirt course, and he might face Bob Baffert trained Fast Bullet and Steven Asmussen conditioned Justin
Phillip in a race that is restricted for 4-year-olds and above.
However, the long term goal for the Hold that Tiger horse is the lucrative $2 million Golden Shaheen in Dubai at Meydan, which is also restricted for sprinters, set to go underway in March next year.
Bred in Kentucky by Dr. Rodney Orr, Smiling Tiger, had last won a race back in July 2011, the Grade 1 Triple Bend over Betfair Hollywood Park’s cushion track, and he returned to the scene after almost one and one-half year to claim his second race in that
period when he won the Vernon O. Underwood Stakes.
In the Vernon O. Underwood Stakes, Smiling Tiger defeated the likes of Private Zone in second and Capital Account in third with the winning time of 1 minute and 11.24 seconds under jockey Rafael Bejarano, who rode Smiling Tiger for the first time.
Out of Cahill Road mare Shandra Smiles, Smiling Tiger was exiting a third place finish in the Grade 1 Xpressbet Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita Park’s dirt course on 3 November, 2012, to winner Trinniberg, who downed the six furlong distance in 1 minute
and 7.98 seconds, and defeated The Lumber Guy in second.
This summer, Smiling Tiger, just has two starts, the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes in May, where he finished fifth and the Grade 2 True North at Belmont Park in which he finished third in June.
With one start in the winter, Jeff Bonde is confident that Smiling Tiger will be in good shape for the challenge in Dubai.
“He’s a fresh horse,” Bonde said. “We’re hoping to take the horse to Dubai.”
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