By DRF.com
DEL MAR, Calif. (Aug. 14, 2025) – California-bred champion Grand Slam Smile faces defending champion Moment’s Pleasure in Sunday’s $100,000 Solana Beach Stakes for Golden State Series-eligible fillies and mares at Del Mar.
Grand Slam Smile is by Smiling Tiger, out of the Grand Slam mare Royal Grand Slam, was bred by owners Mr. & Mrs. Larry Williams and is trained by Sean McCarthy. She has seven wins in 13 starts, earnings of $590,620 and is coming off a second in the July 20 Osunitas.
“She’s all racehorse,” McCarthy said earlier this week.
In 13 starts, Grand Slam Smile has five stakes wins and never been worse than third.
Grand Slam Smile’s chances depend largely on how the first half of the one-mile turf race develops. She often runs near the front, a style that has led to stakes wins at distances ranging from five furlongs to 1 1/16 miles on turf and dirt.
Sneaker, who led throughout the Fran’s Valentine Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on May 24, may set the pace, although fillies such as Only One America and Prancingthruparis are quick enough to lead.
McCarthy said he will entrust jockey William Antongeorgi to decide an early strategy for Grand Slam Smile.
“We’ll have to see how it unfolds,” he said. “In situations like this, you can overanalyze. Let ’em break and see how everything stacks up. I’ll leave it to Billy on what he wants to do. She’s tactical.”
Grand Slam Smile began her career in Northern California with trainer Steve Specht, who retired last winter. Grand Slam Smile was transferred to McCarthy earlier this year. In two starts for McCarthy, Grand Slam Smile won an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs at Los Alamitos on June 28 and was second in the restricted Osunitas Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar on July 20 after setting the pace.
“She ran a little better than I expected,” McCarthy said of the recent loss.
Aside from Grand Slam Smile, there are five stakes winners in the Solana Beach field: Hot Girl Walk, Moment’s Pleasure, Only One America, Prancingthruparis, and Sneaker.
Sunday’s race is the stakes debut for Wink and a Grin, a 3-year-old filly owned by Harris Farms and trained Carla Gaines. Wink and a Grin is a closer who finished sixth of 12 in an allowance race at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar on July 20 after chasing a slow pace.
“They just walked,” Gaines said. “She was galloping around there. She never had an opportunity to run.”
Gaines said Wink and a Grin has “no early speed.” Should a fast pace develop in the Solana Beach, however, Wink and a Grin may be a factor in the stretch.
Stakes winner Hot Girl Walk is by Bodexpress, out of the Awesome Again mare Awesome Mama, was bred by owner Richard Barton and is trained by Carla Gaines. She has two wins in 10 starts, earnings of $163,000 and is coming off a second in the July 25 Fleet Treat Stakes.
Defending champion Moment’s Pleasure is by Clubhouse Ride, out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Lamazone, was bred by Rainmaker Racing LLC, Ben & Sally Warren & Bret Lewis, is owned by Rainmaker Racing and Bret Lewis and is trained by Craig Lewis. She has four wins in 16 starts, earnings of $315,978 and is coming off a fourth in the Mar. 16 Irish O’Brien.
California Rocks is by Circumference, out of the Rock Hard Ten mare Incredible Ten, was bred by owners John and Allegra Ernst and is trained by Daniel Dunham. She has one win in three starts, earnings of $43,700 and is coming off a 12th in a July 20 optional claimer.
Stakes winner Only One America is by Marking, out of the Diabolical mare That’s the Idea, was bred by owners J. Kirk & Judy Robison and is trained by Peter Miller. She has two wins in 11 starts, earnings of $124,580 and is coming off a seventh in a June 21 optional claimer.
Stakes winner Prancingthruparis is by Sir Prancealot, out of the Bellamy Road mare She’s a Big Winner, was bred by owners SAF Racing, Ciaglia Racing LLC & H. Crusberg and is trained by Peter Eurton. She has five wins in 15 starts, earnings of $318,790 and is coming off a second in a June 28 optional claimer.
Sneaker is by Oscar Performance, out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Lime Beach, was bred by Fountain of Youth Breeding, is owned by R L Stables and is trained by George Papaprodromou. She has four wins in 14 starts, earnings of $261,948 and is coming off a win in the May 24 Fran’s Valentine. She was seventh in this race last year.
Wink and a Grin is by Smiling Tiger, out of the Acclamation mare Style Award, was bred by owner Harris Farms and is trained by Carla Gaines. She has two wins in five starts, earnings of $81,358 and is coming off a sixth in a July 20 optional claimer.
Cornelia Fort is by Grazen, out of the Unusual Heat mare An Unusual Group, was bred by Nick Alexander, is owned by Greenway Racing Stables LLC, Branch, William A., Catone, Richard and Mathis, Andy and is trained by Mathis. She has four wins in 28 starts, earnings of $300,798 and is coming off a second in the June 12 allowance. She was fourth in this race last year.