ARCADIA, Calif. - An easy lead led to an easy win by the exquisite Grand Slam Smile in Saturday’s $126,500 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita.
Grand Slam Smile ran the opening quarter-mile in 22.03 seconds, a relatively slow early fraction for a hillside race, leading by a length. She extended her advantage to 2 1/2 lengths in the stretch, and won by 1 1/2 lengths under jockey William Antongeorgi.
Antongeorgi envisioned Grand Slam Smile having an early advantage in the field of eight statebred fillies and mares.
“I thought it would go that way,” Antongeorgi said. “She was cruising. No one pressured me.”
Sent off favored, Grand Slam Smile ($3.60) ran about 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:12.71 for her 10th win in 17 starts. Grand Slam Smile earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 86.
Take Another Card, winner of the 2025 California Cup Oaks last January, closed from sixth to finish second under jockey Umberto Rispoli.
“She tried,” Rispoli said. “Th winner had an easy lead and she got no pressure.”
Prancinthruparis, who was third on the hillside portion of the course, finished third, followed by Tequilaandtherapy, Issa Court, Tina Turner, Moment’s Pleasure and Going Deep.
Grand Slam Smile, owned by breeders Larry and Marianne Williams, is trained by Sean McCarthy. A 5-year-old mare by Smiling Tiger, Grand Slam Smile won her eighth stakes in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf.
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