by Jeff Renton, media/communications, Woodbine Entertainment Group

Toronto, ON — With a win in the Open pace at Woodbine last weekend, trainer Richard Griffiths’ 6-year-old Village Jiffy horse Tigerama inched ever so closer to the illustrious C$1 million mark in career earnings.

Regular pilot Mark MacDonald was at the lines of the 44-time career winner when he popped the pocket along Woodbine’s final turn and sprinted off to the 1-3/4 length victory clocked in 1:49.2 — his third sub-1:50 win of 2006.

WEG Photo

Tigerama will pass the C$1 million mark in career earnings with a win on Saturday.

Bred by owner Robert Hamather of Exeter, Ontario, Tigerama has compiled a record of 8-7-5 from 32 starts this season, good for C$319,135 in purses.

Currently sitting with a bankroll of C$986,258 heading into Woodbine’s C$45,000 Open this Saturday evening (Race 9, 10:28 p.m.), the bay out of the Artsplace mare Fearless Flight will surpass the milestone with a victory.

“He’s sharp right now, and came out of last week’s race really well,” Griffiths said about his star pupil, who will be leaving from post four in his upcoming tilt. “In terms of winning this weekend and getting the milestone, it’s a short field (six horses), but there aren’t any pushovers.

“The one thing about the short fields is that they stay pretty compact and are right there with you. If he’s going to beat them, he’ll have to out-sprint them late.”

There’s no doubt that Tigerama can go with the best that Woodbine has to offer. He’s notched five wins in WEG Opens this season and was just nosed out by Primetime Bobcat in the win photo for the C$115,500 Spring Pacing Championship.

“I think that we’ve brought him along properly,” said Griffiths, a 54-year-old resident of Thorndale, Ontario. “We raced him at the (B tracks) when he was younger and made sure that he was the best in his class before we moved him up and sent him to the Woodbine circuit.”

Given the relatively long path to where he ranks now, Griffiths is somewhat surprised that Tigerama is already approaching this milestone at six.

“Robert and I were pretty sure we had a good horse on our hands, but for him to be coming up on a million already, I wasn’t expecting that. It’s not like he made a boatload of money in one season by winning one or two big races.

“He’s been able to earn a very respectable chunk every year and I think that is a testament to him.”

The field for Saturday’s Open is listed below.

C$45,000 Open Pace
PP – Horse – Listed Driver – Trainer
1 – Escapable Beaux – J. Jamieson – A. Montini
2 – Whosurboy – C. Christoforou – M. Ford
3 – Smithsonian – L. Ouellette – K. McMaster
4 – Tigerama – Ma. MacDonald – R. Griffiths
5 – Pronger – K. Oliver – G. Lalonde
6 – Secrets Nephew – L. MacArthur – L. MacArthur

Note: Escapable Beaux will be racing from the Retention Barn.