Four-year-old Smiling Tiger continues to show why he is considered one of the top sprinters in the country. Even after a troubled start, Smiling Tiger, who was ridden by Joel Rosario, came through to win the seven-furlong San Carlos Handicap (G2) by a head. Smiling Tiger earned a 104 BRIS Speed Rating for the February 19 tally over Santa Anita's wet fast track. It was the fourth graded stakes victory and tenth graded stakes-placement in his 13-race career for the colt by Hold That Tiger-Shandra Smiles, by Cahill Road, who has never finished farther back than third place.

  The final race time for the San Carlos was 1:20.30, only six-tenths of a second off Twirling Candy's track record 1:19.70, which he set in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes late last December. Smiling Tiger finished only a nose behind Twirling Tiger in that race.

  "He's a nice horse, a classy horse," said Rosario. "He showed today he can relax and he can run from off the pace."

  Purchased by trainer Jeff Bonde as agent for Alan Klein and Philip Lebherz for $40,000 at the 2008 WTBOA Summer Yearling Sale from agent Halvorson Bloodstock's consignment for Smiling Tiger's breeder Dr. Rodney Orr, the Kentucky-bred runner is the top earning horse in WTBOA sales history. The two-time Grade 1 winner's record shows $875,864 in the bank.

  When asked what was next on Smiling Tiger's schedule, Bonde replied, "We'll take a little spacing. He's nominated to Dubai [Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1)], but he has a chance as a stallion prospect, so my big goal - whether it's the owners or not - is to run the horse in the Metropolitan Mile [G1 at Belmont Park on May 30]. There might be one race before that, but I don't know what it will be."

  Four-year-old Cosmo Meadow (Ire) earned his first stakes victory in the ¥78,130,000 Diamond Stakes (G3) run at Tokyo on February 14. The son of King's Best-Angel of the Gwaun (Ire), by Sadler's Wells, is a full brother to stakes winner Beauty O'Gwaun and to stakes-placed Angelonmyshoulder. All three of stakes earning siblings were bred by L. Neil Jones' Abergwaun Farms. It was the fifth win in 14 starts for Cosmo Meadow.

  David and Jill Heerensperger's multiple graded stakes-winning Bourbon Bay narrowly missed adding the $150,000 San Luis Obispo Stakes (G2) to his résumé, losing the 12-furlong race by a nose to Champ Pegasus. A five-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Sligo Bay (Ire)-Coral Necklace, by Conquistador Cielo, Bourbon Bay has won six of his 16 races and earned $540,086. Both Bourbon Bay and Champ Pegasus are nominated to the 2,400-meter Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G1) to be held at Meydan Racecourse on March 26.

  Mark Dedomenico LLC and trainer/owner Jerry Hollendorfer's multiple stakes-winning three-year-old filly Cathy's Crunches, a Florida-bred daughter of West Acre-Miss Atticus, by Atticus, finished third in the about 6 1/2-furlong La Habra Stakes (G3) run over Santa Anita's turf course on February 21. Cathy's Crunches, who has five wins to her credit and has never finished further back then third in nine starts, has earned $185,520.

  Ben's Cat, a five-year-old Maryland-bred son of Gibson Thoroughbred Farm's Parker's Storm Cat, finished fourth in his first attempt in graded stakes company. The gelding out of Twofox was beaten by about 3 1/2 lengths in the seven-furlong General George Handicap (G2) run at Laurel Park on February 21. The race was won by No Advantage, who earned the highest BRIS Speed Rating of the week with 111. Ben's Cat has earned $223,230 in 11 lifetime starts and has an 8-1-0 record.

  Demarcation, the seven-year-old son of Gulch who won the Mineshaft Handicap (G3) at Fair Grounds on February 19, is out of the stakes-placed Boundary mare Divine Line, whose dam, stakes winner Affordable Price, by Drouilly (Fr), was bred by Northwest Farms and Dan J. Agnew. Demarcation has won ten races and earned $625,050.

  1997 Washington horse of the year Smokin Mel is the sire of five-year-old Smokin Hero, the New York-bred gelding out Broomesse, by Claramount, who finished second in the $63,700 restricted Hollie Hughes Stakes run at Aqueduct on February 21.

  John Bredeson and Greg Geiser's homebred Island Boardeaux won his second race in three tries when the three-old California-bred took a mile starter allowance race at Golden Gate Fields by 1 1/4 lengths on February 19. The son of Cuvee, who is out of Basket Weave's stakes-winning daughter Rollette, has earned $21,166...

  Three-year-old first-time starter Dot's Silver Star won a maiden special weight race at Portland Meadows by 2 1/2 lengths on February 21. The British Columbia-bred filly, who races for Westwood Thoroughbreds, is a daughter of Sport Horse Inc.'s Klinsman (Ire) out of Deputy Dot Com, by War Deputy.