Bold Move Gives Naughty Tiger CTBA Stakes Victory
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Naughty Tiger wins the 2018 California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes
One filly caught the eye in the turn of the $100,000 California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Stakes Aug. 1 at Del Mar.
Under jockey Ruben Fuentes, Naughty Tiger was just moving differently, but she was very wide.
Five lanes on the outside as she entered the first turn, the Edward Freeman-trained Smiling Tiger filly first breezed past 5-2 second choice Accomplishedsister. Favored Lippy, the last out winner of the Juan Gonzalez Memorial Stakes at Pleasanton, similarly cruised by a group of frontrunners midway through the turn, but was immediately challenged by Naughty Tiger.
Lippy gamely fought on for a while but eventually relented in the stretch. By the furlong pole Naughty Tiger held a 1 1/2-length advantage and she hit the wire 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Accomplishedsister, who nosed out Lippy for second. Naughty Tiger finished off the 5 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-old California-bred or California-sired fillies in 1:06.27.
The stakes victory—the first of Fuentes' career—followed a 3 3/4-length maiden victory June 14 at Santa Anita Park, Naughty Tiger's second start.
"She didn't break very well, and Ruben used his head and just let her settle," Freeman said. "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."
Six Pack Gal, Cozze Kid, and Scatapulp all went for the lead early and set a quick quarter-mile fraction of :21.99, but none remained in contention through the turn. Naughty Tiger raced in fifth, 1 1/4 lengths back in the backstretch, before her move to the front.
"She broke a little slow, but I could tell they were going fast up front and she was comfortable," Fuentes said. "So I just sat there and waited. Then when I asked her to go, she sure did."
Bred by Premier Thoroughbreds, out of the Red Giant mare Naughty Nightie, Naughty Tiger now has $98,880 in earnings from three starts for owners Brian Blackburn, Freeman, Shannon Hunt, Mike Marsden, Antony Murigo, and Darrin Albert. She was a $40,000 purchase by Freeman out of the Barretts Equine Limited Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training sale in 2018.