Grand Slam Smile Leads Deep Royal Heroine Field

Grand Slam Smile  leads a competitive field in the $100,000 Royal Heroine Stakes (G3T) April 25 at Santa Anita Park. 

Last out, the 5-year-old Smiling Tiger  mare won the Irish O'Brien Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths. She jumps back into graded stakes company, having run third in the Buena Vista Stakes (G2T) going a mile Feb. 28. A homebred for Larry and Marianne Williams, she is slated as the 5-2 morning-line favorite. The Sean McCarthy trainee has won 11 of her 19 career starts and is looking to added a graded win to her collection of nine black-type stakes victories. 

Video: Irish O'Brien S. (BT)

Grand Slam Smile will face a tough field, with three challengers already graded winners at the Royal Heroine's conditions of a mile on the grass. 

The Mark Glatt trainee, Take A Breath , is coming off a win in the Santa Ana Stakes (G3T), which is run at 1 1/4 miles. She will be shortening back up to a mile for the first time since she was an off-the-board sixth in the Autumn Miss Stakes (G3T) Oct. 26. In 2025, 4-year-old daughter of Bated Breath  won two handicaps at a mile in England. Owned by Chivalry Thoroughbred Racing and Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners, she is the second choice at odds of 4-1. 

At morning-line odds of 9-2, May Day Ready  is making her first start for trainer Richard Mandella. Last year's Lake Placid Stakes (G2T) winner was previously trained by Joseph Lee but was moved to the West Coast by owner KatieRich Stables. The 4-year-old daughter of Tapit   is making her first start of the year after ending last season seventh in the Valley View Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland. In 2024, May Day Ready was runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T).