LAUREL, Md. – When Bring the Smoke was last seen at Laurel Park, he was a dazzling maiden winner, earning him attention that resulted in his purchase. That investment paid off as Bring the Smoke has now earned national-level attention, up by a neck in a three-horse blanket finish in the Grade 3, $150,000 Maryland Sprint on Saturday at Laurel Park.
Bring the Smoke, originally trained by Lacey Gaudet for the Team Gaudet ownership name, made his debut in December at Laurel, finishing third behind the well-regarded Lonesome Road. Both would win their next outings. In Bring the Smoke’s case, that win was an 18 1/4-length maiden romp on a muddy, sealed Laurel track in February. After the win, he was privately purchased and transferred to trainer Whit Beckman for the partnership of Awestrike Racing, Berry Family Racing, Legion Racing, GLAM Racing, and Clarke Ohrstrom. Some of the same ownership connections are involved with Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Ocelli, whom Beckman will saddle in the Preakness Stakes later today.
Beckman said Bring the Smoke has been easy to get to know and fit into his program.
"Super straightforward," the trainer said. "Really easygoing. He handles everything extremely professional. That makes it easy for him and for me."
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In his first outing for the Beckman barn, Bring the Smoke was a pace-prompting second to the consistent Senior Officer in a Keeneland allowance. Beckman elected to take a stakes swing back at Laurel, a track Bring the Smoke was proven to like. He elected to remove the blinkers the Preservationist gelding had worn in his previous three starts, hoping to help him relax off the speed. The move also looked prescient when Bring the Smoke happened to draw the rail for the Maryland Sprint, as well; he appeared to briefly pause when rail-drawn in his debut.
Bring the Smoke ($16.60), with Tyler Gaffalione taking the return call after riding him at Keeneland, indeed broke alertly, but then allowed Gaffalione to settle him back in fourth behind a flying trio up front.
"We wanted him to settle back behind the speed," Beckman said. "It was perfect. Tyler broke evenly with them all, but just didn't really hustle him up."
Post-time favorite Celtic Contender broke on top in the opening strides but quickly ceded the lead, as Faster Gator, making his first start since late November, was keen for the lead from post 2. He zipped through an opening quarter in 22.08 seconds on the fast track with Faust, coming off back-to-back wins at Oaklawn Park, on his hip and Haileysfirstnotion pressing outside of them.
"I think taking the blinkers off really helped him relax today," Gaffalione said of his trip in the meantime. "The last time, he broke a step slow, and he just kind of got a little ahead of himself that day. He wanted to do a little too much early. But today, completely different - he relaxed beautifull behind those horses."
Emerging from the turn, Haileysfirstnotion put a head in front of Faust, tripping the timer for the half-mile in 45.09 as Faster Gator began to fade out of the picture. Faust refused to cave on the inside, and he and Haileysfirstnotion threw down through the stretch to the delight of the crowd. Then, Bring the Smoke turned up the heat even more. The gelding came with a rush on the outside and wide, collaring the top two in the final strides. Bring the Smoke a neck in front of Faust, on the rail, and Haileysfirstnotion, between horses, another neck back in third. Both the runner-up and third-place finishers gave a strong account of themselves.
"I'm very proud of the progression he's made," trainer Steve Asmussen said of the class-climbing Faust, adding, "he fought on beautifully."
Trainer Gary Capuano credited Haileysfirstnotion with "a monster race."
The final time for the six furlongs was 1:10.73.
After the top three, it was 3 1/4 lengths back to Celtic Contender, followed by S S Sinatra, Slam Notion, and Faster Gator. Floodlites and Hymn were scratched.
The Maryland Sprint was the first race in the Breeders' Cup's "Dirt Dozen" series, in which the top three finishers in designated races earn a tiered bonus bankroll which can be utilized towards pre-entry and entry fees for dirt races at the 2026 Breeders' Cup, set for Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland.
Two Breeders' Cup Sprint winners in the last decade have won the Maryland Sprint along their path of development. Straight No Chaser won this race in 2023 - his last start for nearly a year, before he returned from a layoff and eventually took the 2024 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar. Whitmore won the 2017 Maryland Sprint, and the veteran campaigner went on to win the 2020 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland.
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