Smooth Like Strait Gets His Grade I In Shoemaker Mile

[Wandering Eyes]

Having dropped his three tries at Grade I level by margins of a head, a neck and a neck, respectively, Cannon Thoroughbreds LLC's SMOOTH LIKE STRAIT (c, 4, Midnight Lute–Smooth as Usual, by Flower Alley) finally managed to get over that hump, leading every step of the way in Monday's GI Shoemaker Mile S. at Santa Anita and earning a fees-paid berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile down the road at Del Mar in the process. Dropping back in trip off a neck third to the dead-heating Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) and Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the nine-furlong GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill May 1, the homebred was off at 70 cents on the dollar and set an easy, if somewhat pressured pace, of :23.46 and :46.43, with Restrainedvengeance (Hold Me Back) and Whisper Not (GB) (Poet's Voice {GB}) stacked to his outside. Going noticeably better than his company heading for home, Smooth Like Strait quickly pinched a break and held safe to the wire as Say the Word (More Than Ready) made belated progress from the tail. A two-time graded winner at three, Smooth Like Strait was beaten a head by Domestic Spending in the GI Hollywood Derby in November and his most recent try at the top level resulted in a narrow defeat at the hooves of Hit the Road (More Than Ready) in the F. E. Kilroe Mile S. over course and distance Mar. 6. Lifetime Record: 15-7-3-2. O/B-Cannon Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Michael McCarthy.

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