Contenders

John Shirreffs

Shirreffs was born June 1, 1945 in Leavenworth, Kansas, and grew up in New Hampshire, where his family ran a small breeding operation. Later he worked as an assistant to trainers Brian Mayberry and Bill Spawr before he took out his trainer's license in 1978; winning his first stakes two years later. He trained privately for Marshall Naify's 505 Farm from 1994-2000. Afterwards, he opened a public stable in southern California. He recently took over the training of A.P. Warrior just prior to his win in the San Felipe. Top horses he has trained include Manistique, Radu Cool, Borodislew, Bertrando, Starrer, and Swept Overboard. He's had two starters in the Kentucky Derby, Giacomo, who scored a 50-1 upset to take the Roses in 2005, and A.P. Warrior, 18th last year. He also saddled Hollywood Story to a fifth place finish in the 2004 Kentucky Oaks.

Mike Smith

A native of Roswell, New Mexico, Smith was introduced to racing by his uncle, who trained horses, and his father, who rode for a short time in Arizona. He started riding races in New Mexico at age 11 and took out his license when he was 16. He was the leading rider in the country in 1994 with 316 wins, and he has won numerous accolades including membership in the Racing Hall of Fame, the Eclipse Award twice, the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award and the Venezia Award. After eleven tries, Smith won his first Derby aboard 50-1 longshot Giacomo in 2005. Some of his best mounts include Holy Bull, Lure, Unbridled's Song, Inside Information, Prairie Bayou and Cherokee Run.

Mr. & Mrs. Jerome S. Moss

Jerry Moss co-founded A&M records, which was at the time the largest independent record company when he sold it to Polygram in 1990. A&M recorded such acts as The Police, Burt Bacharach and Joe Cocker. Moss now is the chairman of Rondor Music, which he co-owns with Herb Albert. Jerry's wife Ann is active in enviromental pursuits and is the founder of the Dolphin Connection. The Mosses have been involved in racing for about 35 years, winning their first stake in 1983 with Fighting Fit. They won the Kentucky Oaks (GI) with Sardula in 1994, and won the Kentucky Derby with their first and only starter, Giacomo in 2005.

Mr. & Mrs. Jerome S. Moss (KY)

Jerry Moss co-founded A&M records, which was at the time the largest independent record company when he sold it to Polygram in 1990. A&M recorded such acts as The Police, Burt Bacharach and Joe Cocker. Moss now is the chairman of Rondor Music, which he co-owns with Herb Albert. Jerry's wife Ann is active in enviromental pursuits and is the founder of the Dolphin Connection. The Mosses have been involved in racing for about 35 years, winning their first stake in 1983 with Fighting Fit. They won the Kentucky Oaks (GI) with Sardula in 1994, and won the Kentucky Derby with their first and only starter, Giacomo in 2005.

There is plenty to like about Tiago’s sire Pleasant Tap, one of the more versatile and durable runners of the past 20 years. In four years of racing, he hit the board 23 of 32 times, winning over $2.7 million and incredibly, ran in four different Breeders’ Cup races in four straight years, the only horse to do so in the history of the event. He finished second in both the Classic (GI) and Sprint (GI). He was champion older male at age five, and was probably a better racehorse with maturity. However, he was good enough to win the seven-furlong Sunny Slope at two, and was third at 40-1 to Unbridled in the 1990 Derby. In what was probably his best race, he beat Horse of the Year A.P. Indy and 1991 Derby winner Strike the Gold in the 1-¼ mile Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI). On the breeding side, he is a half-brother to 1994 Derby winner Go for Gin and a son of 1981 Derby and Preakness winner Pleasant Colony, descending directly from the great stayer and undefeated champion of 16 lifetime races, Ribot. As a sire, Pleasant Tap has passed on his talent to such runners as Premium Tap, winner of the 2006 Clark Handicap (GI) and runner-up to Invasor (ARG) in the Dubai World Cup (GI); David Junior, the English 3-year-old champion and earner of more than $4.1 million; Japanese Group 1 winner Tap Dance City; and millionaire and multiple graded winning filly Tap to Music. Overall, he has sired more than 40 stakes winners and was ranked fourth on the 2006 Top Sires List.

Set Them Free produced six foals prior to Tiago, led obviously by his half-brother, 2005 Derby winner Giacomo (Holy Bull). Of the others, three were unraced, a third won two of four starts, and the fourth, Sea Jewel, was a winner of over $170,000, with a third in the Oak Leaf (GII) at Santa Anita at two and a second in the Santa Ysabel (GIII) at the same track at three. Set Them Free also earned over $170,000, with a 5-1-0 record in 12 starts. She also had a nice 3-1-0 record at two, winning the Pasadena Stakes and the Debutante Breeders' Cup Stakes that year, as well as wins in the Very Subtle and Eloquent Handicaps at four. Beyond Set Them Free, Tiago’s tail female line is very European in nature, but is full of stakes type horses. Typical of the group is Squill, from Tiago’s third dam Barbarossa. Squill was a multiple stakes winner on the grass and weighted the top British 3-year-old from 9 ½ to 11 furlongs, which is akin to yearly divisional honors for horses competing at that distance.

A complete outcross in his first four generations and as witnessed by the presence of so much stamina blood on both sides of his pedigree, Tiago has the breeding to handle races well beyond the Derby’s ten furlongs. Dosage Index: 1.91 – by Mark Hoard

TIAGO shares some of the Nobiz Like Shobiz qualities: Both of them were some of the last horses to arrive in Louisville, their trainers are recent Derby winners, and they have been managed in a way that earned them past success. And in Tiago’s case, he’s a half-brother to Giacomo with the same owner and jockey, making the comparison even easier. And though the two of them possess the same running style, Giacomo was much more accomplished than Tiago is in terms of 2-year-old foundation. Tiago was actually a maiden when he won the Santa Anita Derby (GI), as he was placed first following disqualification of the winner in an earlier maiden race. One thing that shouldn’t hurt is the post 15, since he likes to drop back and make a late run anyway. That style could be his undoing here, since there is not a ton of speed in the race, unless a few riders get nervous and press unnecessarily. It’s hard not to like this son of Pleasant Tap, who exhibited plenty of class and curiosity when schooling in the Churchill Downs paddock. In a race with two favorites (Curlin and Street Sense), the looks wide open after that and you’re sure to get a decent price of 15-1 or better on a recent Grade 1 winner. Not bad when you consider all the alternatives.