ARCADIA, Calif.—Fresh off what may’ve been the best race of his career, trainer Mike Puype’s veteran seven-year-old gelding Tigre Di Slugo heads a field of five 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs in Saturday’s $100,000 Thor’s Echo Stakes at Santa Anita.
The Thor’s Echo is one of five statebred stakes on California Gold Rush Day that are part of the lucrative CTBA-sponsored Golden State Series for eligible California-bred or sired horses.
Idle a year and six days, Tigre Di Slugo ran a huge second, beaten 2 ¼ lengths by top sprinter Brickyard Ride in the Grade III Kona Gold Stakes going 6 ½ furlongs here on April 30, earning a career-top 94 Beyer Speed Figure.
A 7-year-old gelding by Smiling Tiger out of the Williamstown mare Erica’s Smile, Tigre Di Slugo is owned by Slugo Racing, Tiger Racing, Inc. and Mike Puype. Lightly raced, he has an overall mark of 9-3-3-1 with earnings of $215,390. Although he’s been stakes-placed on three different occasions, Tigre Di Slugo is still looking for his first stakes win.
If he’s able to replicate his effort in the Kona Gold, Tigre Di Slugo, who will be ridden back by Kyle Frey, should be tough to deny on Saturday.
Idle since running a close fifth going 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf in the California Flag Handicap Oct. 17, Nick Alexander’s homebred Desmond Doss gets the services of leading rider Juan Hernandez and looms a huge threat off the bench.
Trained by Steve Miyadi, Desmond Doss, named for the heroic World War II decorated non-combatant, has two wins and as many seconds from four tries over the Santa Anita main track. A 6-year-old full horse by Grazen out the Malek mare Malley Girl, Desmond Doss, who seeks his second stakes win, is 17-5-2-2 overall with earnings of $301,341.
Easily the leading money earner in the field, the Dean Pederson-trained Fashionably Fast will try to rebound from a sixth place finish in the statebred Sensational Star Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf on March 20.
A 7-year-old gelding by Lucky Pulpit out of the Forestry mare Fall Fashion, Fashionably Fast was bred by Harris Farms and is owned by Harris Farms, Inc., Per Antonsen and John Nicoletti. Third in last year’s Thor’s Echo, Fashionably Fast, a six-time statebred stakes winner, is 29-9-6-7 overall with earnings of $697,623.
THE $100,000 THOR’S ECHO WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 4 of 9 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT
- Moose Mitchell—Ricardo Gonzalez—114
- Desmond Doss—Juan Hernandez—126
- Fashionably Fast—Abel Cedillo–126
- Tigre Di Slugo—Kyle Frey—124
- Good With People—Ramon Vazquez–126
First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m.
Santa Anita Park Press Release
Photo: Benoit Photo
