A five time
graded stakes winner, Smiling Tiger will return to a venue where he is
undefeated (2-for-2) when he starts in the Triple Bend.
Owned by Alan Klein and Philip Lebherz and trained by Jeff Bonde,
Smiling Tiger, who won the Lazaro Barrera Memorial May 22, 2010 and the
Grade I Ancient Title less than five months later in his earlier races
over Cushion Track, enters off a much-troubled trip in the Churchill
Downs Handicap May 7.
The Hold That Tiger colt out of the Cahill Road mare Shandra Smiles, who won the Grade III
Count Fleet Handicap April 14 at Oaklawn Park, finished sixth as the
5-2 favorite in the Grade II on the Kentucky Derby undercard.
Seeking to become the first 4-year-old to win the Triple Bend since
Street Boss in 2008, Smiling Tiger enters with earnings of $999,353.
He’s won seven of 15.
A winner of two of three since being claimed for $40,000 Feb. 13 at Santa Anita, Camp Victory gained the victory in the Grade III Los Angeles Handicap May 30 after original winner Amazombie was disqualified and placed third for alleged stretch interference.
Owned by a partnership and trained by Mike Mitchell, Camp Victory, a
4-year-old Forest Camp gelding out of the Clever Trick mare Victory
Trick, has won seven of 16 and banked $235,986.
Amazombie was denied a third consecutive win when he had his number
taken down in the Los Angeles. The gelding had won the Grade II Potrero
Grande at Santa Anita and the Tiznow on California Gold Rush Day (April
23) in his prior two starts.
Co-owned by trainer Bill Spawr and Thomas Sanford, the 5-year-old
son of Northern Afleet and the In Excess mare Wilshe Amaze has won eight
of 19 and banked $505,780. Spawr is aiming for his second Triple Bend
win with a California bred, having scored with Sensational Star in 1989.
The last Cal bred to win the race was Bilo in 2007.
M One Rifle, moved up to second in the Los Angeles, will seek his
third victory at the Triple Bend distance. Owned and bred by trainer
Bruce Headley, Ed Bernstein and Brian Greenspan, the 5-year-old gelded
son of One Man Army and the Bertrando mare Leanessa has five wins in 14
starts and earnings of $491,002.
Fourth in last year’s Triple Bend – 4 ¾ lengths behind winner E Z’s
Gentleman – M One Rifle’s victories at seven furlongs both occurred in
2009 – the Real Good Deal for California breds at Del Mar and the Grade I
Malibu at Santa Anita.
Undefeated in five starts around one turn, Bench Points will take on
older rivals for the first time for a partnership and trainer Tim
Yakteen.
A California bred son of Benchmark out of the Free House mare Mo Chuisle, Bench Points won the Grade III Lazaro Barrera Memorial May 15 in his debut at seven furlongs.
Bench Points, who has earned $278,280 while winning five of seven,
will try to become only the fifth 3-year-old to win a race that will be
run for the 60th time. He would join Zensational (2009), Messenger of
Song (1975), Wallet Lifter (1962) and Nashville (1957).
After impressive wins in his first two starts as a gelding, Color of
Courage will make his initial appearance in graded company for
owner-breeders John and Cheryl Toffan and trainer Paco Gonzalez.
A 4-year-old son of Came Home and the Holy Bull mare Color Magic,
Color of Courage has won four of six while earning $132,240. He had been
away for more than 19 months when he won an allowance at 6 ½ furlongs
May 15, then stretched to seven furlongs and prevailed again June 10.
A win by the bay would be the first in a Grade I for Gonzalez since
Color of Courage’s sire won the 2002 Pacific Classic at Del Mar.
Uh Oh Bango will cut back in distance after four consecutive starts
around two turns. Owned by breeder Triple A Ranch and trained by R. Kory
Owens, the 4-year-old Top Hit colt out of the French Deputy mare French
Debutante has won four of 12 and banked $411,812.
He enters the Triple Bend on a two race win streak, the first of his
career. The Arizona bred won an optional claimer by a half-length May
12 over Cushion Track, then shipped to Golden Gate Fields and won the
Grade III Berkeley by a head over Bold Chieftain May 30. Both victories were at 1 1/16 miles.
Trainer Bob Baffert will be aiming for his third Triple Bend win in a
row and a record-tying fourth overall when he saddles El Martillo.
Owned by Maria Gomez, the 6-year-old Tiznow horse out of the
Mountain Cat mare Mountain Dawn has won five of 24 and earned $217,700.
El Martillo won his last start, taking an optional claimer April 28.
Baffert, who won the race in 2009 with Zensational and E Z’s
Gentleman a year ago, would join Charlie Whittingham, who holds the
record with four Triple Bend victories, as the only trainer to win the
race three times in a row. Whittingham won in succession with
Porterhouse (1955-1956) and Nashville (1957).
From inside out, the field for the Triple Bend Handicap: M One
Rifle, Chantal Sutherland rides, 117 pounds; Camp Victory, Joe Talamo,
114; Smiling Tiger, Joel Rosario, 122; El Martillo, Martin Garcia, 115;
Color of Courage, David Flores, 116; Uh Oh Bango, Patrick Valenzuela,
116; Amazombie, Mike Smith, 123 and Bench Points, Rafael Bejarano, 112.
