Tiger Moth rallies to win Houston Ladies Classic

A day after winning the world’s richest race, the $16 million Pegasus World Cup, with Gun Runner, jockey Florent Geroux swept into Texas on Sunday and won the state’s richest race for Thoroughbreds when 17-1 shot Tiger Moth upset the Grade 3, $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston.

“Florent knowing her paid off today, with her just getting up the last couple of strides,” said Brad Cox, who trains Tiger Moth.

Actress, the 4-5 favorite off her win in the Grade 3 Comely at Aqueduct, finished second by a neck. It was another length back to Martini Glass in third.

The Houston Ladies Classic led a card of six stakes worth a cumulative $825,000. The program included the Grade 3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup, won for the second year in a row by Bigger Picture ($3.80).

Tiger Moth ($36.80) trailed the field for much of the Houston Ladies Classic as Adore set a pressured pace, taking the field through fractions of 23.98 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.99 for the half-mile, and 1:13.21 for six furlongs. Tiger Moth advanced on the final turn, came five wide into the stretch, and ran down the field. She covered 1 1/16 miles on a track rated “good” in 1:46.01.

“When she was ready to make her move, I just tipped her out,” said Geroux.

“I’m very happy for Brad. He’s a longtime friend, helped me from the beginning.”

Cox was thrilled with the performance from Tiger Moth, who was coming off a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Falls City on Nov. 23 at Churchill.

“I thought she ran tremendous,” Cox said. “Florent knows her. She does her thing – breaks, just kind of settles, and runs down the lane. She kind of runs like a turf horse on the dirt.”

Cox trains Tiger Moth for her breeder, John Gunther. He said the mare, a 6-year-old by Street Sense, would return to her Fair Grounds base, with plans to be determined.

“She’ll go to New Orleans tomorrow, and we’ll regroup,” Cox said. “I’d say, thinking out loud, we’ll talk about the Azeri.”

The Grade 2, $350,000 Azeri will be run March 17 at Oaklawn. Cox has divisions at Fair Grounds and Oaklawn.

Tiger Moth earned $240,000 in the Houston Ladies Classic, her sixth career victory from 22 starts. She has earned $642,107. The race Sunday was her second graded stakes victory, behind the Grade 3 Groupie Doll in August at Ellis. Tiger Moth is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Last Gunfighter, an earner of $1.2 million.