Swettenham Stud received a late addition to Hold That Tiger’s stakes winner total this year when Table Games won the Listed Jim Edgar Illinois Futurity in the United States on Saturday.
Table Games (2g Hold That Tiger – Lady Dealer by Prospectors Gamble) overcame a wide post and sloppy conditions to nail Domain’s Rap (Cherokee Rap) by a nose over 1700m at Hawthorne.
The 32nd running of the $100,000 event is named after a long serving Governor of Illinois. “Table Games ran his heart out,” trainer Chris Block said. “I didn’t think he was going to get there but he just never gives up.”
Table Games is a homebred for the Virginia Tarra Trust. He had been entered for a $25,000 claimer on debut at Arlington in the summer and looked a real professional in his maiden victory at Hawthorne on November 10.
His dam Lady Dealer has already thrown the Hold That Tiger winners Lady Leprechaun and Miami Ice.
Hold That Tiger’s 2010 highlight was Smiling Tiger’s G1 victories in the Ancient Title Stakes at Hollywood Park and Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar. The Storm Cat sire was also represented by Jungle Wave who won the G2 Play The King Stakes at Woodbine.