Smooth Like Strait leads BC Alumni in Maker’s Mark Mile

news7g04/13/2022

4 3 minutes read

Smooth Like Strait leads BC Alumni in Maker's Mark Mile

For the second time this month, Grade 1 motorsport shows up on weekdays at Keeneland.

Following the grand opening of Ashland Stakes (G1) Central Bank on April 8 in the Lexington Oval Office, top-level action resumes on Friday as Keeneland generates $600,000 in Maker Mark Mile Shares (G1T). The one-mile grass race attracts 11 yards, including some of the top short-distance turf horses in the country.

Illustrating the quality of the race, the three participants raced for the last time in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 6. Presented by PDJF (G1T) at Del Mar–in love (Saturday), Ivar (Tuesday), and Smooth as the strait (Monday). Friday’s race represents the first start since the trio, all existing class 1 winners.

Favored at 2-1 on the morning field is Smooth Like Strait by Cannon Thoroughbreds, a cadet Michael McCarthy, who has finished first or second in 14 of 18 appearances. Although he’s won just one of his seven starts last year in his 4-year-old season, none of his six losses have come more than halfway through.

With that meager profit, he lost the Breeders’ Cup last fall holding second place behind the favored European driver Space Blues overtake him in the ramp.

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“Obviously he had a few tough beats last year,” McCarthy said. “I feel like a couple of things could happen to him once or twice. I think he was the best field horse in the country last year. I think his performance at the Breeders’ Cup was great. attest to it.”

Umberto Rispoli, who recently diverted to Kentucky after hitting base in California, is back with his 5-year-old son. Midnight Lute .

Smooth Like Strait completed its training prep for Friday’s race with a 5-minute breeze at 1:01 on the main track at Santa Anita . Park April 8. Xbtv.com the video captures him seeing the award winning grass horse and his stable friend Club Caribou advantage of the length before passing it in the stretch and clearly stretching the length one and a half at the end. He then took the lead before crossing the rope under encouragement.

“He’s been training really well,” McCarthy said. “Schedule wise, it’s a race that seems to be in an advantageous position. Happy with the way the horse has trained since the Breeders’ Cup. Not happy about the wet weather there. But they do. We’ll play the card we’ve settled.”

Although the forecast shows clear skies Friday and the day before, Keeneland is likely to remain less solid after rain earlier in the week in Central Kentucky.

Smooth Like Strait has raced mainly on dry courses. He won the 2020 War Chant Stakes at Churchill Downs in show condition, although the course is still listed as a company by Equibase. He finished fourth on good court at Santa Anita in the 2019 Eddie Logan Stakes.

While the Smooth Like Strait ran ahead for relatively easy splits of: 23.51 and: 47.38 in Breeders’ Cup Mile, Ivar and In Love closed at a fairly brisk pace.

Jockey Joe Talamo was able to make a solid ride from column 12 on Ivar, avoiding losing too many points on both turns. Ninth after half a mile, Ivar got into gear on his second turn, and after heading out he caught all but Space Blues and Smooth Like Strait. Ivar checked the length behind the runner-up.

Video

Led by Alex Achard, In Love raced inside Ivar down the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Then, during a short wait in the room, In Love followed Ivar’s rally outside at length, beating 3 1/4 lengths to win.

Both horses are South American runners owned by Bonne Chance Farm and Stud RDI and trained by Paulo Lobo. Both are 6 years old by Gold Agnes . In Love is a gelding, Ivar is an intact horse.

In Love painted inside flawlessly in two of Keeneland’s turf starts, after winning a local allowance race in October 2020 and the Keeneland Turf Mile (G1T) this fall. last.

Ivar won the same stake race in 2020 when it was funded by Shadwell. Ivar’s two other grass starts at Keeneland are fourth in the Keeneland Turf Mile 2021 and Breeders’ Cup Mile 2020.

Juddmonte also had two runners-up in Friday’s race: European Bet Winner Masen currently trained by Chad Brown, and level 2 winner Set piece , adapted by Brad Cox. Like the Breeders’ Cup Mile returners, they also made their debut season debut.

The Friday field is completed by Shirl’s Sight , Redemption , Recount , Somelikeithotbrown , Mission Mira and Public area —Whoever is the winner has been graded or graded.