The Californian bred sprinters Smiling Tiger and Unzip Me to skip Breeders’ Cup races
The 5-year-old mare Unzip Me and the 4-year-old colt Smiling Tiger will not run in the Breeders’ Cup races this season, which is to be held at Churchill Downs on 4 and 5 November, 2011, reported their respective trainers.
Trained by Martin Jones for Harris Farms, Unzip Me last year participated in the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs over at five furlongs, finished behind Chamberlain Bridge and Central City to finish third in the race.
It was the last race of her 2010 season, and since then the experienced mare has had a pretty good 2011 season, which she started with back to back wins in Grade 3 Monrovia Handicap on 2 January, 2011, and then the Clocker’s Corner Handicap on 5 March.
Both races were run over a distance of six and a half furlongs, at Santa Anita Park and over the venue’s grass course.
She then turned in back to back second place finishes, starting from the Grade 3 Las Cienegas also at six and a half furlongs at Santa Anita Park on 9 April, 2011. Unzip Me finished behind the winner Separate Forest.
Her second runner up finish was in an allowance race over at six furlongs at Hollywood Park on 14 July, which was followed up by a win in the Daisycutter Handicap at Del Mar.
Trained by Jeff Blonde for owners Alan Klein and Philip Lebherz, Smiling Tiger also finished third in the 2010 edition of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint on 6 November, 2011, over a distance of six furlongs, finishing behind Big Drama and Hamazing Destiny.
This year at the end of the season, Smiling Tiger switched to synthetic surface after running over dirt for his last 6 starts, and the result was instant as he bagged the seven furlong long race, the Grade 1 Triple Bend at Hollywood Park.
His penultimate race was also over at synthetic surface when he represented his connections in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes over at six furlongs where he finished second.
Smiling Tiger hasn’t race since 28 August, when he participated in the Grade 1 Pat O’Brien Stakes over at seven furlongs under Joel Rosario, as the pair finished fourth.
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