BY STEVE KOCH
Smooth Cruisein will line up in Saturday’s Grade 3 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita Park as the Florida-bred 3-year-old seeks his first graded stakes victory. The dark bay colt, bred by J D Farms, brings a two-for-four record to the $100,000 seven-furlong sprint where he is listed at 6-1 morning line odds.
Smooth Cruisein, a son of Girvin out of Smooth Cookie by In Summation, was purchased for $41,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales October yearling sale. He was later offered as a 2-year-old at the OBS March sale where he failed to meet his reserve and was bought back for $45,000. Trained by Karen Headley for Matson Racing, Sandra L. Brown, Elise Naify and Marsha Naify, the colt has earned $87,000 from his four career starts.
(Smooth Cruisein’s Under Tack Video)
His most recent win came in a first level, $50,000 optional claiming at Santa Anita on Feb 26, where he won by a length-and-three-quarters after racing three-deep. That performance followed his debut victory in a maiden special weight at Santa Anita on October 27.
Smooth Cruisein has made two previous graded stakes attempts this year, finishing fifth in the Grade 2 San Felipe won by future Preakness-winner Journalism at Santa Anita on Mar 1 and fourth behind winner Barnes in the Grade 2 San Vicente at Santa Anita on Jan 4.
Tiago Josue Pereira, who rode him in his allowance victory, retains the mount. The 3-year-old will carry 114 pounds.
The morning line favorite at 3-5 odds is Nysos, a 4-year-old owned by Charles and Susan Chu’s Baoma Corp and trained by Bob Baffert.
The bay colt by Nyquist has won three of four career starts while earning $358,500. Nysos finished second in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes on May 3, his most recent outing. As a 3-year-old in 2024, he won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita by seven-and-one-half lengths. As a 2-year-old in 2023, he won the Bob Hope Stakes (G3) at Del Mar by eight-and-three-quarter lengths. Juan J. Hernandez will ride, and the 4-year-old will carry 126 pounds.
Dr. Venkman, the 2-1 second choice, is a 5-year-old gelding by Ghostzapper trained by Mark Glatt. The bay horse has compiled a record of three wins and two seconds from six starts, earning $418,500. He won the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on July 27, 2024 and finished fourth in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on August 31, 2024. Antonio Fresu will ride for Alipony Racing, Dan J. Agnew and Clint and Hailey Bunch. The 5-year-old will carry 126 pounds.
Spirit of Makena, listed at 12-1 odds, won this race in 2023. The 7-year-old gelding by Ghostzapper, trained by George Papaprodromou, finished third in the Grade 3 San Carlos Stakes at Santa Anita on Mar 29 in his most recent start. He has earned $365,600 from nine career starts with four wins. Kyle Frey will ride, and the veteran will carry 126 pounds.
Vlahos completes the five-horse field at 10-1 odds. The 4-year-old by former Florida stallion Kantharos is trained by Doug O’Neill and has earned $184,940 from nine starts with two wins. His most recent start was a fourth-place finish in an optional claiming race at Santa Anita on Apr 4. Edwin Maldonado will ride, and the 4-year-old will carry 124 pounds.
Parts of this story were drafted with Claude.ai.
Return to the May 29 issue of Wire to Wire
