Grinning Tiger Oregon-bred Horse of the Year

Grand Ronde, OR (Feb. 22, 2020) —Grinning Tiger, the son of Smiling Tiger, was named the Oregon-bred Horse of the Year and champion Older Gelding of the Year at the Oregon Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association annual awards banquet held on Feb. 22 at the Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand Ronde.

Campaigning for Tyree Wolesenky, Grinning Tiger earned $87,091. He scored twice in allowance company at Los Alamitos and was second, defeated by a neck, in the California Flag Handicap at Santa Anita during his 4-year-old season. His dam, the Pioneering mare, Karlee’s Kitten, was named Oregon Broodmare of the Year. He was bred by Patrick Cosgrove and is trained by Anthony Saavedra. Overall, he was won or placed in twelve of his twenty-five starts and has earned $149,301.

Smiling Tiger was represented again at the ceremony wheh 2-year-old filly Jaded Tiger was named champion in her division. A two-time winner in her juvenile season, Jaded Tiger is out of the Skip Away mare, Jadelet. She races for the partnership of her trainer, Benjamin Root, Fan Warden and Margaret Root. She was bred by Dr. Rod Orr.