Get Smokin Shines Brightly in Snowy Valedictory Stakes

Age 7 and still at the top of his game, Get Smokin  can still win races under various conditions.

He can win going a mile on yielding turf, as he did in the 2020 Hill Prince Stakes (G2T) at Belmont Park; he handled an undulating turf course at Kentucky Downs to take the 1 1/2-mile Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G2T) in 2023; and he can even stay that same distance over a synthetic track, as he demonstrated in the CA$141,130 Valedictory Stakes (G3) during a snowstorm Dec. 7 at Woodbine.

No matter the circumstances, Get Smokin prefers to dare the field to catch. None could do so Saturday. Setting easy fractions, he led throughout to score a 3 3/4-length victory over runner-up Classic Mo Town . He was timed in 2:31.64 over Tapeta and returned $12.10 to win.

Favored Loose Wire  showed.

Winning jockey Sahin Civaci credited his mount's experience and ability to relax on the lead. 

The Mark Casse trainee, an earner of more than $2.1 million, notched his second win in five starts in 2024 after taking the July 20 United Nation Stakes (G2T) in his second race of 2024.

Get Smokin, a chestnut gelded son of Get Stormy out of the Smoke Glacken mare Hookah Lady , races for owners Ironhorse Racing Stable, BlackRidge Stables, T-N-T Equine Holdings, and Saratoga Seven Racing Partners.

Hurstland Farm and James Greene Jr. bred him in Kentucky. Get Stormy stood at Crestwood Farm before his death in 2022.