ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 12, 2024) – Prior to Saturday, Grand Slam Smile had won stakes on dirt in sprints and around two turns, and on turf around two turns. She added a turf sprint to her stakes collection in Saturday’s $103,000 California Distaff Handicap for Golden Sstate Series-eligible fillies and mares at Santa Anita.
Racing at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the track’s unique hillside turf course for the first time, Grand Slam Smile ($23.40) stalked pacesetter Sassy Nature until the field reached the stretch, and fought off a brief threat from 4-5 favorite Stay and Scam to take a late lead.
Grand Slam Smile, ridden by Frank Alvarado, finished a length in front of 6-1 Big Summer, who closed from off the pace.
“He was able to get her to settle and got her to run when it counted,” trainer Steve Specht said of Alvarado’s ride.
Grand Slam Smile was timed in 1:12.40. Specht expressed concern before the race regarding how Grand Slam Smile would handle the dirt crossing from the hillside turf course to the main turf oval.
It was not an issue.
“She handled it just fine,” Specht said.
Sassy Nature, seventh in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs on turf against males at Del Mar on Aug. 31, set a quick pace of 21.86 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 43.88 for a half-mile. She was unable to sustain the effort.
Stay and Scam, favored on the strength of two stakes wins on turf at Santa Anita earlier this year, finished third, beaten two lengths.
The remaining order of finish was Andiamo Ragazza, Rose Maddox, Sassy Nature, Prancingthruparis, Diamond Bar Gal, Chismosa, and Rebalation. Back on Track, who was fractious in the gate, was pulled up shortly after the start and walked off the track.
Grand Slam Smile, a 3-year-old by Smiling Tiger, has won 6 of 10 starts and earned $511,400 for owners and breeders Larry and Marianne Williams of Boise, Idaho.
Grand Slam Smile won two sprint stakes on dirt at Santa Anita as a 2-year-old last year – the Fasig-Tipton Debutante and Golden State Juvenile Fillies. Earlier this year, Grand Slam Smile won two stakes around two turns for 3-year-old statebred fillies in consecutive starts at Santa Anita – the California Cup Oaks on turf in January and the Melair Stakes on dirt in May.
The California Distaff was Grand Slam Smile’s debut against older fillies and mares and her first start since she finished a well-beaten third behind Hope Road in the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes at a mile on dirt at Del Mar on Aug. 31.