Smiling Tiger working towards a start in the Hollywood Park meet
The 5-year-old Jeff Bonde trained horse, Smiling Tiger raced seven times last year and won three races, all graded stakes races, but he only raced once at Hollywood Park in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes over the venue’s cushion track at about seven furlongs,
and won his first grade 1 race of the season there.
Now, Alan Klein, Philip Lebherz, and Mersad Metanovic RM owned horse is working towards a return to Hollywood Park’s spring/summer meet, a venue where he has been awfully successful. He also won the Grade 1 Ancient Title at Hollywood Park’s cushion track
back in 2010, over a distance of six furlongs and in the same year won the Grade 3 Laz Barrera Stakes at about seven furlongs.
All in all he has raced at Hollywood Park 4 times in his career, and landed three races, while finished third once in his first ever race there in the Harry Henson Stakes over the track’s turf course.
Jeff Bonde said on 14 March, 2012, that Smiling Tiger’s ultimate goal of the season is to participate in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
The Kentucky bred son of Hold That Tiger, out of mare Shandra Smiles by Cahill Road, Smiling Tiger worked on the Hollywood Park’s cushion track on 14 March, 2012, when he turned in half a mile handily in 48 3/5 seconds.
Smiling Tiger’s 14 March work was third this month since 2 March, and his latest work was timed best out of 15 over the same distance.
"We're getting him stretched out," Bonde said. "We want to have him ready for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (at Santa Anita) this fall. He's still several weeks away from a race. I'd like to give him five or six more works. He likes it at Hollywood Park, so that's
probably where we'll run him first."
After his win in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes at Hollywood Park last year, Smiling Tiger opted for the Del Mar meet where he went unsuccessful in two starts, starting with a second place finish in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs, and the
a seven furlong sprint in the Grade 1 Pat O’Brien Handicap, where he finished fourth to winner, The Factor.
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