Shady Tiger stalked then kicked to the win by 5-1/2 lengths in the Echo Eddie (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
$125,000 Snow Chief Stakes 1 of 5 Stakes on California Gold Rush Day for Horses Bred or Sired in California
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.— Shady Tiger, a smashing winner of last month’s Echo Eddie Stakes for California-breds in his stakes debut going 6 ½ furlongs on dirt, returns to turf for Saturday’s $125,000 Snow Chief Stakes for 3-year-old California-breds going 1 1/8 miles on turf.
Trained by Phil D’Amato, Shady Tiger has won three straight since finishing second in his debut going five furlongs on turf last November in Del Mar. The Smiling Tiger gelding broke his maiden against statebreds going six furlongs on turf here Jan. 7, then returned in a statebred allowance at six furlongs on turf and scored by a nose.
In the Echo Eddie on the main track April 6 at Santa Anita, the Smiling Tiger gelding rallied from off the pace and won going away. Juan Hernandez has been aboard for all four previous starts and again has the call.
Shady Tiger is a homebred for Edward Rusty J. Brown. He is 4: 3-1-0 with $166,400 in earnings.
Curlin’s Kaos tested the Triple Crown trail this winter when fourth in both the Sunland Derby and GI Santa Anita Derby on dirt. Most recently, he switched to turf in a one mile statebred allowance April 28 at Santa Anita and scored by one length over Two by Four, who is also entered in the Snow Chief.
Trained by Antonio Garcia, Curlin’s Kaos is 7: 2-1-2 with $160,520 in earnings for owners Zephyr Racing LLC and Alfred Pais. Diego Herrera, who has been aboard for all previous seven starts, has the call.
Joining Shady Tiger for D’Amato is stablemate Final Storm. By Kentucky-based stallion Blame, Final Storm was claimed out of a win in a $50,000 maiden claimer going 5 ½ furlongs on dirt March 10 at Santa Anita. He was then switched to turf for a six-furlong statebred allowance try April 28 and scored again.
Final Storm, who will have Kyle Frey in the irons, is owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Hopeless Stables, Veranda Stables et. al. He is 4: 2-0-1 with $61,900 in earnings.
Two by Four was third in the Echo Eddie before finishing runner-up in Curlin’s Kaos’ allowance win last month. Trained by Craig Lewis, the Clubhouse Ride gelding is 6: 1-3-1 for owner-breeder Legacy Ranch. He will be ridden by Hector Berrios for the second-straight time.
THE SNOW CHIEF
Race 8 of 10 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT
First post for Gold Rush Day Saturday is 1 p.m. PT. Admission gates open at 11 a.m.
