Tiller (foaled 14 April 1974) was an American thoroughbred racehorse. Racing mainly on turf he won sixteen of his forty races between February 1977 and September 1980. He was not a champion, but won many important races and defeated many of the best racehorses of his era including Exceller and John Henry.
He was unraced as a two-year-old and won three minor races as a three-year-old in 1977. In the following year he showed much-improved form, winning seven races including the Fort Marcy Handicap, Edgemere Handicap, Bowling Green Handicap and Tidal Handicap as well as finishing second in the Washington D C International. In 1979 he raced in California, winning the San Marcos Handicap and San Antonio Handicap on dirt and the San Juan Capistrano Handicap on turf. He also finished second to Affirmed in that year's Santa Anita Handicap.
As a six-year-old he won the Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap and a second Tidal Handicap before he sustained a career-ending injury in September.
Background
Tiller was a chestnut gelding bred in Kentucky by Claiborne Farm. He was sired by the French stallion Herbager who won the Prix du Jockey Club and the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud before his racing career was ended by injury. Herbager sired good winners in Europe, including Grey Dawn before being exported to the United States where the best of his other progeny included Big Spruce. Tiller's dam Chappaquiddick produced several other winners including Endear (Hempstead Handicap, Miss Grillo Stakes) who in turn produced the dual Breeders' Cup Mile winner Lure. During his racing career, the gelding was owned by William Haggin Perry and trained by David A. Whiteley.
Racing career
1977: three-year-old season
Tiller began his racing career at Aqueduct Racetrack in February winning a maiden race at his second attempt. In the summer on 1977 he won allowance races at Belmont Park in July and Monmouth Park in August. In autumn at Belmont he was moved up in class to finish fourth in both the Lawrence Realization Stakes and the Man o' War Stakes.
1978: four-year-old season
As a four-year-old, Tiller emerged as a top-class turf performer. He began the year with four starts in Florida where he won one minor race and finished third to Noble Dancer and That's A Nice in the Hialeah Turf Cup. At Aqueduct in May he won an allowance race and then recorded his first major success as he defeated Noble Dancer in a division of the Fort Marcy Handicap. Tiiler won his next four races, all at Belmont, and being partnered on each occasion by the Canadian jockey Jeff Fell. In June he won the Grade III Edgemere Handicap and then beat Proud Arion in the Grade II Bowling Green Handicap with Bowl Game in third place. In the latter race he established a track record of 2:12.4 for eleven furlongs on turf. He took the Tidal Handicap in July, beating Proud Arion by five and three quarter lengths, to confirm his "domination of turf racing in the East". After a two-month break he returned to win an allowance in September. Tiller was beaten in his last four races of 1978, but was in the money against top-class opposition on each occasion. He finished third in the Manhattan Handicap and then finished second to the mare Waya in the Man o' War Stakes, with the three-year-old Mac Diarmida in third. He again finished second to Waya in the Turf Classic, with Trillion taking third place. He ended his season in the Washington D C International at Laurel Park Racecourse in November. Ridden by Fell he finished very strongly but failed by a head to catch Mac Diarmida.