Wright gets Si That Tiger back to one turn

The 4-year-old colt Si That Tiger is probably the best sprinter at Emerald Downs. But after finishing second in last August’s Muckleshoot Derby at 1 1/16 miles, earning an 82 Beyer Speed Figure, trainer Blaine Wright decided that running him in this year’s $125,000 Longacres Mile was worth the stretch.

Si That Tiger didn’t run poorly, but he was far from great, finishing fifth by 3 3/4 lengths and again earning an 82 Beyer. That was six points below his career-best, which came in a convincing July 19 win at 6 1/2 furlongs in the $50,000 Governor’s Stakes.

Wright has apparently seen enough of Si That Tiger around two turns, as the trainer has him entered in a $30,000 allowance at five furlongs on Sunday rather than waiting for the 1 1/16-mile Muckleshoot Tribal Classic a week later.

“I keep trying to run in the classic races with him, and he keeps running mediocre,” Wright said. “At some point, we’ve got to face the music.”

Race 7 on Sunday, dubbed the Owners’ Handicap, features a field of eight and is part of a 10-race program that gets underway at 1:50 p.m. Pacific. Si That Tiger is the clear favorite in a race that’s loaded with early speed. The son of Smiling Tiger has won most of his races going gate to wire, but he’s also shown an ability to win from slightly off the lead.

“We’ve got to see how the track comes up during the day and then we’ll make our decision,” Wright said when asked if jockey Silvio Amador might elect to have Si That Tiger stalk instead of go right to the front. “At the same time, he’s the class of the race and we’ll be forwardly placed.”

So, too, will Si That Tiger’s former stablemate Goin’ South, whom Si That Tiger beat twice when both were 3. After Goin’ South finished ninth, 16 lengths behind Si That Tiger, in the $50,000 Irish Day Stakes in July 2025, Wright dropped him down to the claiming level and eventually lost him for $15,000 to trainer Alexis Silva-Martinez out of a 6 1/2-furlong June 27 win.

“I love the horse. I never wanted to lose him,” Wright said. “I’d take him back in a heartbeat, but at the same time, we always felt like that horse has a level and we were determined to stay there and ram him down their throats until they claimed him.”

Leading trainer Howie Gibson has a pair entered in race 7 who may pose the stiffest challenges to Si That Tiger. The stakes-winning 8-year-old Coastal Jazz won his second race off a two-month layoff on July 18, while 5-year-old Knightline finished a good fourth in a $24,000 allowance on Aug. 23, earning a career-high 83 Beyer.

Why wheel him back on just seven days’ rest? With the meet set to end on Sept. 7, why not?

“He didn’t run bad last time and it’s the end of the meet, so I’m just gonna give him a chance,” Gibson said.