SMILING TIGER, WITH RUSSELL BAZE, TOWERS OVER SIX FOES IN SATURDAY’S GRADE II PALOS VERDES

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 19, 2001) – On paper, Saturday’s 59th running of the Grade II, $150,000 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita has the look of a laugher for multiple Grade I winning sprinter Smiling Tiger.

The 4-year-old chestnut colt, trained by Jeff Bonde for Alan Klein and Philip Lebherz, has the credentials and constitution among seven entrants to turn the six-furlong event into a recital.

With a 5-1-5 record in his 11-race career that includes eight graded competitions, Smiling Tiger is coming off a nose loss to Twirling Candy in a torrid Grade I Malibu Stakes on Santa Anita’s opening day, Dec. 26. Prior to that, he was a close third to Big Drama in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint after bobbling at the start. Smiling Tiger previously had taken Oak Tree’s Grade I Ancient Title Stakes and Del Mar’s Grade I Bing Crosby.

With earnings that have reached $767,864 in a relatively brief career, Smiling Tiger has numbers that none of his opponents have even approached. Northern California-based Russell Baze, with more career victories than any jockey in North American history, will be odds-on to add another. The Kentucky-bred son of Hold That Tiger will break from the rail while carrying high weight of 123 pounds.

Trainer Bob Baffert’s Ventana is the only other graded stakes winner in the cast. The 5-year-old son of Toccet captured Santa Anita’s Grade II Potrero Grande Stakes last April following runner-up efforts in the Grade II San Carlos as well as last year’s Palos Verdes won by Kinsale King.

Rafael Bejarano has the mount on Ventana, who has been sidelined since finishing fourth in the Grade II Churchill Downs Stakes in Kentucky last May 1. Ventana, however, has been working spectacularly for his return. His preparation includes a pair of six furlong drills in 1:10 1/5 from the gate. He enters this year’s Palos Verdes with earnings of $270,002 for owners Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman from a 3-4-1 record in 15 career starts.

Euroears, idle since July 4, at Churchill Downs, has relocated from the East to compete. The 7-year-old son of Langfuhr, who has joined Baffert’s barn, has won 6 of 9 races at six furlongs. Euroears has banked $401,562 from an 8-1-2 record in 16 trips to the post. Mike Smith will be aboard.

Hunch, a 5-year-old son of Lion Heart trained by John Sadler for C R K Stable, has started only five times with three wins. But his most recent was an impressive score in an optional claimer at Hollywood Park on Dec. 18. Joel Rosario rides.

The complete field for the Palos Verdes Stakes, with jockeys and weights in post position order: Smiling Tiger, Russell Baze, 123; Euroears, Mike Smith, 118; Ventana, Rafael Bejarano, 120; Captain Cherokee, Joseph Talamo, 118; Gato Go Win, Patrick Valenzuela, 118; Hunch, Joel Rosario, 118, and Don Tito, Corey Nakatani, 118.

Bonde and Baze will team up with European import Cambina in a supporting feature, the $75,000 Sweet Life Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 6 ½ furlongs on turf, which drew a field of ten.

Owned by Mrs. John Magnier, the Irish-bred roan has posted a 2-1-0 record in five races in Ireland and most recently finished second behind Chrysanthemum in a listed event at Ireland’s prestigious racecourse, The Curragh. Cambina, who has earned $42,936, will share high weight of 119 pounds with She’ll Heir.

A Florida-bred daughter of Wildcat Heir, She’ll Heir has not raced since finishing a well-beaten ninth in the Grade I Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 4. Trained by Vladimir Cerin for David and Holly Wilson, She’ll Heir will be competing in her fifth straight stakes race, but her first on grass. Patrick Valenzuela will be aboard the filly who has won 2 of 5 starts including Hollywood Park’s Cinderella Stakes last June 9.

The complete field for the Sweet Life Stakes, with jockeys and weights in post position order: Scantily Clad, Bejarano, 117; Dontbeshy I’ll Boy, Alonso Quinonez, 115; Rachel Jones, Smith, 117; Wallstreeter, Brice Blanc, 117; Bloemer Girl, no rider, 117; She’ll Heir, Valenzuela, 119; Advantage Player, Rosario, 117; Cloneylass, Corey Nakatani, 117; Cambina, Baze, 119, and Orangeblackandgold, David Flores, 117.

The Palos Verdes will be contested as the seventh race on a nine-race program with the Sweet Life going as the eighth. First post is at 12:30 p.m.

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