Vertical Threat wins Smiling Tiger Stakes

Just more than one year after his first workout at the San Luis Rey Training Center and seven days after his most recent workout at San Luis Rey 3-year-old colt Vertical Threat won the Smiling Tiger Stakes race Saturday, July 25, at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

"I'm very pleased," trainer Richard Baltas said. "Pretty happy with the horse. He looks like he's got a future."

All of Vertical Threat's timed workouts have been at San Luis Rey. The first was a two-furlong run July 16, 2019. The most recent was five furlongs July 18, 2020. His first race was a 5 1/2-furlong contest May 23, on the Santa Anita Park turf course and he finished sixth among the 12 horses with San Luis Rey gelding Silardi winning that race and Vertical Threat finishing 3 1/4 lengths in back of Silardi.

Baltas gave Vertical Threat a six-furlong dirt race June 27, at Los Alamitos Race Course. The colt broke his maiden with a six-length victory over second-place Disco Ball.

The Smiling Tiger Stakes would give Vertical Threat his second career win in three races as well as a win in his first stakes race. The six-furlong dirt race for 3-year-olds included Ragtime Blues, who was purchased for $500,000 at the September 2018 Keeneland yearling sale and who had two career wins.

Vertical Threat was sold for $100,000 at the April 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sale.

The prominent competitor was no deterrent to Baltas.

"I don't run from anybody," he said.

Heriberto Figueroa, who was Vertical Threat's jockey in the Los Alamitos race, also rode Vertical Threat in the Smiling Tiger Stakes.

"I just told him to break good and play it like it is," Baltas said.

Vertical Stakes broke second with Ragtime Blues taking first. Ragtime Blues covered the first quarter-mile of the race in 22.16 seconds and had a 1 1/2-length lead over Vertical Threat, who led third-place Thanks Mr. Eidson by half a length.

Figueroa and Vertical Threat overtook Ragtime Blues and jockey Mike Smith during the next two furlongs.

"He was actually closer than I thought he was going to be," Baltas said. "He was doing it easy and he went up to the leader without being asked."

The first half-mile took Vertical Threat 45.46 seconds, and at that point he held a head lead over Ragtime Blues. By the time the horses entered the stretch, which in the case of Vertical Threat occurred 57.60 seconds after the start of the race, Vertical Threat had expanded his lead over Ragtime Blues to 2 1/2 lengths.

"He ran a big race," Baltas said.

Vertical Threat won the race in 1:10.47 and by a 5 1/4-length margin over Ragtime Blues, who finished second.

"I was happy," Baltas said of the margin of the win.

First place provided $40,650 of the $65,000 total purse and brought Vertical Threat's career earnings to $65,150.

Vertical Threat was foaled in Kentucky March 8, 2017. He was sired by Tapiture out of Viola Blew By.

Baltas has not yet decided the next race for Vertical Threat.

"He might run at Churchill Downs," Baltas said.

The next race will likely be seven furlongs or 1 mile.

"He won't go two turns," Baltas said.

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at [email protected].