Grand Slam Smile secures her fourth stakes win in the Melair (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.— Favorite Grand Slam Smile made it a successful trip south from Golden Gate for trainer Steve Specht when earning her fourth stakes win in Saturday’s $125,000 Melair Stakes for California-bred 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on dirt Saturday at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Frank Alvarado, Grand Slam Smile (1-1) won by 4 ½ lengths over 2-1 second choice Safa with another 6 ½ lengths back to Loretta Lynn (8-1) in third.
On the backstretch, Grand Slam Smile moved up from second to confront early pacesetter Only One America (15-1). Grand Slam Smile put away that rival on the second turn and then had no problem holding off the late bid from Safa.
Grand Slam Smile won in a final time of 1:45.82 on a fast track. Fractions were 23.62, 48.07, 1:12.57 and 1:39.27.
“This is the best 3-year-old I’ve ever ridden” Alvarado said. “By the three-eighths pole, she was looking around, and no one was coming. I didn’t even move, just kept it nice and easy. That’s when I knew we would win the race.”
Specht noted Grand Slam Smile was tough to saddle in the paddock, which isn’t unusual for the daughter of Smiling Tiger.
“She was a bear in the paddock. We tried everything, walking her and putting her in the stall at the end and she wasn’t having it,” Specht said. “She was a handful, but we got the saddle on her. It was going to get on one way or another. She is always a handful in the paddock and post parade. She gets a little heated up, but she overcomes it.”
Grand Slam Smile is now 7: 5-2-0 with $404,900 in earnings for owners-breeders Larry and and Marianne Williams. Her three previous stakes wins all came at Santa Anita. She won the California Cup Oaks at a mile on turf Jan. 13, the Golden State Juvenile at seven furlongs on dirt in November and the Fasig-Tipton Debutante at five furlongs on dirt last June.
Grand Slam Smile paid $4.20, $2.60 and $2.20. Safa, ridden by Tiago Pereira for trainer Gary Stute, returned $3.00 and $2.40. Loretta Lynn, trained by Phil D’Amato with Tyler Baze up paid $3.00.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Santa Anita with a 10-race card including the GII Santa Margarita and GIII Daytona Stakes. First post is 1 p.m. PT.
