Death of Grade 1 winner and leading Californian sire Smiling Tiger aged 17

Smiling Tiger, a multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire who leads all California sires by 2024 progeny earnings through to July 31, was euthanised on Thursday due to complications from ataxia. 

The 17-year-old had been standing at John Harris' Harris Farms near Coalinga, where he stood for the majority of his stud career.

Phil Lebherz and Alan Klein raced Smiling Tiger, who was trained by Jeff Bonde, and headed the team that supported him at stud. Lebherz owned 75 per cent interest and Klein 25 per cent, with many of the offspring bred by Premier Thoroughbreds, the name of one of Lebherz's partnerships. Lebherz had a deep bond and love for Smiling Tiger, bought as a yearling in 2008.

"He was actually Bonde's first Grade 1 winner," said Lebherz. That victory came in the 2010 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar.

"It was fun because he was a three-year-old against older horses," said Lebherz. "Bob Baffert had two in there and also the champion from Australia [Scenic Blast] was in there."

Smiling Tiger's team included Bonde and bloodstock agent Mersad Metanovic. Rusty Brown is another who partnered on several of Smiling Tiger's runners and is the owner-breeder of Shady Tiger, Smiling Tiger's leading earner of 2024. 

Shady Tiger this year has won the Echo Eddie Stakes and Snow Chief Stakes, and he is the 9-5 morning-line favourite for the Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar on Friday.

A son of Hold That Tiger and Shandra Smiles, by Cahill Road, Smiling Tiger was a special horse to the entire group. Lebherz recalls being impressed from the colt's very first outing, a maiden race at Golden Gate Fields on May 1, 2009, which he won after twice bucking off Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze.

Smiling Tiger winning the Bing Crosby Stakes in 2010Credit: Alex Evers

"He broke loose, and ran all the way around the track," said Lebherz. "Jeff begged them not to scratch him, and he won the race by six lengths. It was just amazing."

Dr Rodney Orr bred Smiling Tiger in Kentucky, and the colt first went through an auction ring in the 2008 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale as a short yearling for an RNA of $32,000.

"He got turned down – he was for sale at Keeneland and they didn't buy him," said Lebherz.

Lebherz purchased Smiling Tiger for $40,000 at the 2008 Washington Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Summer Yearling Sale.

"He was very feminine-looking when we first saw him," said Lebherz. "They said he had a very feminine body, but he was very balanced. He grew into himself."

Smiling Tiger could also be a handful, what Lebherz called "a badass." Lebherz noted that Bonde did a great job training the colt.

In just his second start, Smiling Tiger won the Lost in the Fog Stakes at Golden Gate by eight lengths. After that race, Metanovic approached Lebherz to try to buy Smiling Tiger.

"He didn't want to sell, but he won me over," said Metanovic, who joined the team and later helped them buy mares to breed to Smiling Tiger.

Smiling Tiger raced four seasons, with a record of nine wins, two seconds, and eight thirds in 23 starts for earnings of $1,480,704. The Crosby, 2010 Ancient Title Stakes, and 2011 Triple Bend Handicap were among his seven Graded wins, and he finished third in the 2010 and 2012 Breeders' Cup Sprint.

When it came time to retire Smiling Tiger, Lebherz and Klein decided to stand him in California instead of selling him to Kentucky interests. Lebherz bought property near Oakdale, California, that was formerly the Pioneer Equine Hospital and renamed it Premier Equine Center. They later moved Smiling Tiger to Harris.

Spiced Perfection: Grade 1-winning daughter of Smiling TigerCredit: Keeneland

"John Harris has been great," said Lebherz. "We've become good friends, and he's had some good Tiger babies."

Metanovic found mares for Lebherz, Klein and Brown to buy who would cross well with Smiling Tiger. One was Perfect Feat, a daughter of Pleasantly Perfect who Premier Thoroughbreds got for $7,500 at the 2014 Barretts January Mixed Sale. Perfect Feat produced the Smiling Tiger filly Spiced Perfection, who went on to become a dual California-bred Horse of the Year in 2018-19.

Lebherz sold Spiced Perfection before she started, but one who did race for Lebherz, Klein and Brown was Dr No No , a 2021 son of Smiling Tiger and Enayat Alsalam, by Run Away And Hide. He won the 2023 I'm Smokin Stakes at Del Mar and earned $151,290.

Grand Slam Smile, a daughter of Smiling Tiger bred and raced by Larry and Marianne Williams, has won four stakes races and was voted champion Californian-bred two-year-old filly of 2023. Another Cal-bred champion by the stallion is multiple stakes winner El Tigre Terrible .

Premier Thoroughbreds bred Smiling Shirlee, a stakes-winning daughter of Smiling Tiger. Metanovic said the partnership currently has her in foal to Candy Ride. 

Smiling Tiger's other top runners include multiple Washington-bred champion Baja Sur and 2018 Korean champion three-year-old colt Ace Korea.

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