Outside Nashville meets He's a Tiger in Oak Tree Sprint
One is a sometimes-overlooked veteran, and one is an up-and-coming 3-year-old, but Outside Nashville and He’s a Tiger should make the Oak Tree Sprint on closing day of the Oak Tree at Pleasanton meeting at the Alameda County Fair one of the meet’s best races.
He’s a Tiger is a sharp 3-year-old running for the hot Jeff Bonde barn. He won both of his starts last year and just scored his first victory of 2016 in an allowance race on opening day. He also has placed in a pair of stakes against his own age group this year.
The 6-year-old Outside Nashville, a member of the deep Jerry Hollendorfer barn, sometimes doesn’t get the recognition he’s due. How many horses currently racing have won a stakes race in each of the past five years?
Outside Nashville has a second and a third in two stakes tries here. He’s won stakes on different surfaces while routing and sprinting. He has worked steadily since an even fourth in the Grade 3 All American, but prior to that, he scored a game win as the favorite in an allowance sprint. He’s record four works, one a bullet, since the All American on May 30.
He’s a Tiger has been working here since his return from Southern California in May and ran third in the Alcatraz Stakes on turf at Golden Gate Fields on May 15. Three of his four works since then have been bullets as Bonde, who saddled seven winners from 16 starters in the first two weeks of the meet, had his eye on this race.
He’s a Tiger had a speed-sharpening 34.60-second, three-furlong bullet work since his victory here in his first race against older horses June 16.
Oak Tree Sprint (Race 9)
KEY CONTENDERS
Outside Nashville, by Broken Vow
Last 3 Beyers: 91-93-86
◗ He is versatile but is an accomplished sprinter, with six wins, three seconds, and a third in 11 starts at six furlongs. He doesn’t have keen early foot, but he’s hard to hold off in the stretch. His rider has won his past two starts on him, including the Lost in the Fog Stakes, after running second.
He’s a Tiger, by Sky Mesa
Last 3 Beyers: 89-80-78
◗ He’s drawn perfectly outside but will have to get out better than in his allowance win here, where he was fanned wide. That may explain the three-furlong bullet work. His jockey entered the final week of the meet in a battle to be the leading rider.
Moonshine Bay, by Kela
Last 3 Beyers: 87-81-75
◗ Outside Nashville’s stablemate was the runner-up as the favorite in this race two years ago. He’s shown improvement of late and is coming off a solid second against a heavy favorite in a turf-sprint stakes.