Tiago qualified for the 2007 Breeders Cup Classic by winning the Goodwood Handicap at Santa Anita in late September.
Tiago finished 7th in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Belmont Stakes. He won the Santa Anita Derby in April.
Tiago is a half-brother to Giacomo who won the 2005 Kentucky Derby and finished fourth in the 2006 Breeders Cup Classic. His sire is Pleasant Tap who finished second in the Breeders Cup Classic. Tiago got a nice win in the Swaps Breeders’ Cup Stakes at Hollywood Park where he won by 2 1/2-lengths and is coming off an excellent win over Awesome Gem in the Goodwood Handicap on September 29 at Oak Tree at Santa Anita. That victory got Tiago into the Breeders Cup Classic on October 27th at Monmouth Park. "You ain’t seen him get good yet," jockey Mike Smith, said, "Wait ’till he gets good! He had to win ‘dirty’ today. We had to push our way out going to the three-eighths pole. He just had to make his own room, because I didn’t want Awesome Gem to get the jump on us. It slowed him down, but I just felt that we had to move at that time. Wow, he ran great." Tiago is expected to go off at double-digits odds in the Breeders Cup Classic and if recent history holds true he could be another longshot Breeders Cup Classic winner.
Probable Betting Odds:15-1
Trainer: John Shirreffs
Jockey: Mike Smith
Dosage Index 1.91
2007 Record: Four wins, no 2nd place finishes and one 3rd place finish (7-4-0-1).
2007 Key Races:
1st in Santa Anita Derby – Tiago got into the Kentucky Derby picture based upon this win.
7th – Kentucky Derby – Tiago got a poor trip in the Derby and finished a disappointing 7th.
3rd – Belmont Stakes – Hit the gate at the start but rebounded to finish a solid 3rd behind Rags to Riches
1st – Swaps Stakes – Went off at even money odds and won by over two lengths to set himself up for the Breeders Cup Classic later in the year.
1st – Goodwood Breeders Cup Handicap – Tiago was able to win by a nose over Awesome Glen as the 2-1 horse betting favorite and guarantee himself a spot in the Breeders Cup Classic.