From DMTC Publicity
DEL MAR, Calif. (Aug. 1, 2018) — Naughty Tiger, a chestnut daughter of former outstanding sprinter Smiling Tiger, asserted herself in the stretch to score an upset in the featured $100,000 California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Stakes for Golden State Series-eligible two-year-old fillies at Del Mar Wednesday.
With jockey Ruben Fuentes in the saddle, Naughty Tiger, sent to the gate at 5-1, surged to the front turning into the stretch and continued on gamely to score by a length and one-quarter over Accomplishedsister who nosed out 2-1 favored Lippy for place honors. Time for Suzzie was a distant fourth in the field of eight fillies. Time for Kisses was scratched.
Naughty Tiger, bred by Premier Thoroughbreds, owned by a partnership of Brian Blackburn, Shannon Hunt and Mike Marsden and trained by Edward Freeman, ran the five and one-half furlongs in 1:06.27 and returned $12.40, $5.60 and $3.20 after her second win in three races.
““She didn’t break very well and Ruben (Fuentes) used his head and just let her settle,” said Freeman. “I had told him ‘I don’t care where you are on the backside, the horses to worry about are probably going to be coming from behind.’ It didn’t work out all that well, she went five wide on the turn, but she went into the race so fit and she was good enough today.”
Naughty Tiger broke her maiden in her second race, in June, at Santa Anita. First money of $57,000 increased the filly’s earnings to $98,880. She was a $40,000 purchase at the Barretts two-year-old training sale last April.
“My first stakes win at Del Mar. Exciting!” said Fuentes. “She broke a little slow, but I could tell they were going fast up front and she was comfortable. So I just sat there and waited. Then when I asked her to go, she sure did. Nice kick. She was best today.”
Runner-up Accomplishedsister, who was piloted by Mike Smith, paid $3.80 and $2.40, while Lippy, ridden by Mario Gutierrez, returned $2.40 to show.
There were six perfect tickets in the Pick Six and each was worth $13,168. The single ticket Pick Six Jackpot pool swelled to $198,189 going into Thursday’s program.