Smoove It Aims for More Downhill Success

Reddam Racing's Smoove It will try for a second straight stakes victory sprinting down the hill at Santa Anita Park when the 5-year-old Square Eddie   mare faces other fillies and mares in the $100,000 Las Cienegas Stakes (gr. IIIT) Sunday, April 10.

California-bred Smoove It enters Sunday's 6 1/2-furlong race on the hillside course off a 3 1/4-length score over other state-breds in the Irish O'Brien Stakes March 19 on the same course. The easy victory marked the first career stakes win for Smoove It, who finished second in last year's Wilshire Stakes (gr. IIIT) going one mile on the Santa Anita turf for trainer Doug O'Neill.

With rain expected this weekend in Southern California, there is a chance the race could be moved to the main track.

Another Cal-bred in the expected field of 11, Velvet Mesquite, also enjoyed success on the downhill. The 6-year-old In Excess (IRE) mare opened the season with a clear victory in the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Sprint against other state-breds Jan. 30 sprinting down the hill. Harris Farms homebred Velvet Mesquite finished second to Smoove It in the Irish O'Brien as the 2-5 favorite.

The field also includes grade II winner Fanticola, who will be making her first start since closing 2015 with a fourth place in the Rodeo Drive Stakes (gr. IT) in September at Santa Anita. The Silent Name mare returns to sprinting for the first time since finishing third in last year's Wishing Well Stakes at Santa Anita. 

Calumet Farm homebred Miss Double d'Oro enters off a March 18 stakes win on the downhill course, taking the Arboretum II Stakes over eight other females.