Grand Slam Smile, a five-time stakes winner at Santa Anita in the last two years, starts for the first time since November in an allowance race at Los Alamitos on Saturday, her first start for new trainer Sean McCarthy.
Grand Slam Smile, who races for owners and breeders Larry and Marianne Williams, was trained in her first 11 starts by Steve Specht, who retired in late 2024.
A 4-year-old filly, Grand Slam Smile was transferred to McCarthy earlier this year.
“We’ve gotten to know her with each work,” McCarthy said on Friday.
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Grand Slam Smile runs in an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs, a new distance for a filly who has won stakes on dirt at distances ranging from five furlongs to 1 1/16 miles, and on turf at distances of about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside course and a mile.
“She’s run everything but 6 1/2,” McCarthy said on Friday. “I’m not overly concerned about that. I’m happy with the way she’s been going.
“We schooled her on Thursday in the gate and she was really good.”
Grand Slam Smile is part of a field of seven that includes Prancingthruparis, who won the Irish O’Brien Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in March, and was third in the Fran’s Valentine Stakes at a mile on turf on May 24. Those races were for California-bred fillies and mares.
Saturday’s allowance race is the first start on dirt for Prancingthruparis since a fifth-place finish in the Fleet Treat Stakes for statebred 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs at Del Mar last August. Grand Slam Smile was second as the 4-5 favorite to Pushiness in that field.
Prancingthruparis, trained by Peter Eurton, won an allowance race for California-bred fillies and mares at 5 1/2 furlongs at Los Alamitos last June in her only previous start at the track.
Juan Hernandez will ride Prancingthruparis for the first time on Saturday. Grand Slam Smile will have a new rider in William Antongeorgi, who replaces Frank Alvarado. In May, Alvarado moved to Washington state to ride at Emerald Downs.
Antongeorgi has been aboard Grand Slam Smile for recent works.
“He’s been working her all along and he’s getting to know her as I have,” McCarthy said.
Grand Slam Smile is expected to take her normal position near the front in her first start since a second-place finish by 1 1/2 lengths in the Livermore Valley Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs at Pleasanton last November.
“She’s tactical, it appears,” McCarthy said. “We’ll let her jump away and let her get into stride and see where she is. Hopefully, she’s laying close. I don’t want to get caught in a speed duel with a horse coming off a layoff.”
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