Casual Smile Continues Roll in Matchmaker
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William Farish homebred Casual Smile has found a home at Monmouth Park.
Starting in a stakes race for the first time in her career, Casual Smile punched through rivals in early stretch and battled to a clear victory in the $162,000 WinStar Matchmaker Stakes (gr. IIIT) Sunday, Aug. 2 on the Monmouth turf.
The victory marked the third straight win for Casual Smile on the Monmouth grass as the 4-year-old daughter of Sea The Stars registered her maiden win there May 24 and followed with an allowance victory July 5 for trainer Chad Brown. Monmouth-based Abel Castllano Jr. guided Casual Smile to victory in Sunday's 1 1/8-mile test for fillies and mares.
After racing seventh early, Casual Smile launched a big move in the turn and bravely split foes in the three path near the eighth pole on her way to a 1 1/4-length victory over even-money favorite I'm Already Sexy, who finished second with Testa Rossi, another Brown trainee, third. Casual Smile returned $21.20 to win, $6.80 to place, and $3.40 to show while I'm Already Sexy returned $3.20 and $2.20 while Testa Rossi returned $2.60.
Casual Smile completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.12 on firm turf.
Bred in Great Britain, Casual Smile is out of 2003 Epsom Oaks (Eng-I) winner Casual Look, a Kentucky-bred by Red Ransom who also has produced stakes-placed winner Casual Trick.
Along with the $150,000 purse, the race awards top finishers with $50,000 worth of stallion seasons to WinStar stallions Paynter , Fed Biz , and Take Charge Indy .
Earlier in the day, P. J. Steinberg and Hill 'n' Dale Equine's Got Lucky registered a second straight stakes win at Monmouth when she drew off in the stretch to post a 4 1/2-length victory under Paco Lopez in the $99,000 Lady's Secret Stakes.
The 4-year-old A.P. Indy filly proved much the best in the field of five fillies and mares going one-mile and 70-yards on the main track. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Got Lucky entered Sunday's race off a 5 1/2-length score in the Molly Pitcher Stakes (gr. III) July 3 at Monmouth.
"She's at the top of her game right now," Pletcher said. "Paco fits her real well and they seem to get along. We got a little worried there because they tried keeping her inside so we had to steady just a touch and then go around. Even though she went easy she likes to be up and going a little earlier, but she kind of had to wait. But we'll take it."