Tee
08-28-2003, 03:46 AM
Hold That Tiger could return to U.S.
By DAVID GRENING
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Hold That Tiger, who finished third in last October's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, is expected to return to North America and take on Mineshaft in the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park on Sept. 6.
Demi O'Byrne, the racing manager for owner Michael Tabor, said trainer Aidan O'Brien is also considering sending Statue of Liberty for the Woodward, but is more likely to just send Hold That Tiger.
"At the moment, there's a strong possibility Hold That Tiger would come,'' O'Byrne said Wednesday from Kentucky.
Jerry Bailey has been booked to ride whichever colt comes.
Hold That Tiger, a half-brother to 1996 Belmont Stakes winner Editor's Note, was one of Europe's best 2-year-olds. He won the Group 1 Grand Criterium at Longchamp and the Group 3 Railway Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland. In the Juvenile, Hold That Tiger broke slowly and was last for the first half-mile before closing strongly to be third.
Hold That Tiger has not been able to return to his juvenile form. He is winless in three starts, with his best performance being a fourth-place finish in the Group 1 St. James's Palace Stakes at Ascot.
"He ran very well in that race,'' O'Byrne said. "He got into a bit of trouble and plenty of people felt he was an unlucky fourth and that he could have finished a lot closer.''
Hold That Tiger's last race was a ninth-place finish in the Group 1 Coral Eclipse Stakes on July 5 at Sandown.
If O'Brien decides to send Statue of Liberty, he would also be an interesting contender. Statue of Liberty is a half-brother to Lemon Drop Kid, the 1999 Belmont Stakes and 2000 Woodward winner. Statue of Liberty went 2 for 2 as a juvenile before being injured. After finishing eighth in the St. James's Palace, Statue of Liberty was beaten a head in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes on July 30.
"Statue of Liberty was our best 2-year-old until he got hurt,'' O'Byrne said.
O'Byrne said O'Brien is also considering sending horses to New York for the Man o'War Handicap, on the same card as the Woodward. O'Brien has nominated five to the Man o'War, including Hold That Tiger, and Powerscourt, recent winner of the Group 2 Great Voltigeur. Also nominated were Carpanetto, a listed winner in Ireland; Brian Boru, who won last year's Group 1 Racing Post Trophy Stakes; and France, who finished fourth in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington.
By DAVID GRENING
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Hold That Tiger, who finished third in last October's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, is expected to return to North America and take on Mineshaft in the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park on Sept. 6.
Demi O'Byrne, the racing manager for owner Michael Tabor, said trainer Aidan O'Brien is also considering sending Statue of Liberty for the Woodward, but is more likely to just send Hold That Tiger.
"At the moment, there's a strong possibility Hold That Tiger would come,'' O'Byrne said Wednesday from Kentucky.
Jerry Bailey has been booked to ride whichever colt comes.
Hold That Tiger, a half-brother to 1996 Belmont Stakes winner Editor's Note, was one of Europe's best 2-year-olds. He won the Group 1 Grand Criterium at Longchamp and the Group 3 Railway Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland. In the Juvenile, Hold That Tiger broke slowly and was last for the first half-mile before closing strongly to be third.
Hold That Tiger has not been able to return to his juvenile form. He is winless in three starts, with his best performance being a fourth-place finish in the Group 1 St. James's Palace Stakes at Ascot.
"He ran very well in that race,'' O'Byrne said. "He got into a bit of trouble and plenty of people felt he was an unlucky fourth and that he could have finished a lot closer.''
Hold That Tiger's last race was a ninth-place finish in the Group 1 Coral Eclipse Stakes on July 5 at Sandown.
If O'Brien decides to send Statue of Liberty, he would also be an interesting contender. Statue of Liberty is a half-brother to Lemon Drop Kid, the 1999 Belmont Stakes and 2000 Woodward winner. Statue of Liberty went 2 for 2 as a juvenile before being injured. After finishing eighth in the St. James's Palace, Statue of Liberty was beaten a head in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes on July 30.
"Statue of Liberty was our best 2-year-old until he got hurt,'' O'Byrne said.
O'Byrne said O'Brien is also considering sending horses to New York for the Man o'War Handicap, on the same card as the Woodward. O'Brien has nominated five to the Man o'War, including Hold That Tiger, and Powerscourt, recent winner of the Group 2 Great Voltigeur. Also nominated were Carpanetto, a listed winner in Ireland; Brian Boru, who won last year's Group 1 Racing Post Trophy Stakes; and France, who finished fourth in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington.