Golden State Series: Tor’s Echo Stakes

DAD’S DAY

TIGER DAD DROPS THE HAMMER IN THOR’S ECHO

BY TRACY GANTZ

After California-bred graded winner Big Bane Teory ended his racing career in 2017, Scott Gross and Mark Devereaux, the horse’s owner-breeders, and trainer Carla Gaines found him a great second career as a hunter-jumper. Tat good deed has been rewarded as Tiger Dad, a Cal-bred with the same connections, captured the $100,000 Tor’s Echo Stakes at Santa Anita June 13.

“We try to place all of our horses in a new career when they come of of the racetrack,” said Gross. “We want to know where they’re going and what they’re doing.”

Te mare Shebane foaled Big Bane Teory, by Artie Schiller, in 2009 and Q T Shae, by Unusual Heat and the dam of Tiger Dad, in 2010. Big Bane Teory earned $395,724 and won the 2014 City of Hope Mile (G2T). Q T Shae, named for Gross’ two grandchildren, was injured in training and never raced.

Devereaux and Gross keep their breeding stock at John Harris’ Harris Farms. Tey bred Q T Shae to Smiling Tiger, who stands at the farm, to get Tiger Dad in 2016.

Put into training with Gaines, Tiger Dad broke his maiden in his frst start as a 3-year-old in 2019 after four starts at 2.

Tiger Dad prowls the stretch to post a three-quarter-length victory in the Thor’s Echo Stakes

© BENOIT PHOTO

Te gelding subsequently has never fnished worse than third in 11 consecutive starts, including a third in the $100,000 Tiznow Stakes at a mile March 1.

“He can sprint on the dirt, and he’s proven to sprint on the turf,” said Gross. “He’s very sound.”

Both partners pointed out how much heart Tiger Dad has.

“We’ve just been blessed with him,” said Devereaux.

Gaines entered two of the fve horses in the Tor’s Echo: Tiger Dad and even-money favorite Desert Law. Winner of the Tor’s Echo last year, Desert Law hadn’t run since fnishing second in the July 27 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1), and Gaines said that he would probably need the race.

Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Tiger Dad dueled inside of pacesetter Principe Carlo.

“When some other horse is outside, it is exactly what he wants because he won’t let them go by,” Espinoza said. “I didn’t want to take the lead too soon because he has a bad habit of waiting for horses.”

Principe Carlo stuck with Tiger Dad, who battled him to the wire and edged away to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:09.56 for six furlongs. Desert Law closed to fnish third.

“Victor did a great job,” said Devereaux. “You see all these things in baseball on algorithms and all of that. But you can’t put a number on heart.”

Devereaux and Gross, who both live in the San Francisco area, couldn’t witness the Tor’s Echo in person, with owners still not allowed at Santa Anita in the afternoons due to COVID-19 restrictions. Gross makes sure his grandchildren, Quinn Tera Hartman and Shane Hartman, ages 9 and 11, see recordings of the races until the family can attend again.

Te partners are having a good run with their stable. In addition to Tiger Dad, Gaines also trains maiden winners Sof’s Gold and Big City Bane for them. Big City Bane is a Cal-bred son of Temple City out of Shebane.

Q T Shae produced a colt by Prospect Park in May this year, so Gross said that he and Devereaux plan to leave her open this year and go back to Smiling Tiger in 2021. Tiger Dad still has more racing to do, and when he’s done, the partners will look for a good home for him, just like they did with Big Bane Teory.