Positivity © Benoit Photo

Trainer Tom Proctor hung out his shingle in 1978 and won with the first horse he started, a California-bred speedball name I’m Smokin. The horse went on to be California’s champion sprinter and – though the veteran conditioner subsequently has handled thousands of horses  – he still says I’m Smokin was the fastest one he’s ever had.

Del Mar named a race in the horse’s honor and has run it every year since 1990. Its 31st edition will be up for grabs this Friday and 10 juvenile colts – all born or bred in the Golden State – will do battle over six furlongs for the lion’s share of the $100,000 purse it offers.

With no horse in the field having more than two starts, the race looms as a wide-open betting event. A possible favorite might be the Paynter colt Positivity, who has captured both of his starts – a Cal-bred straight maiden race at Santa Anita in May, then the Graduation Stakes for Cal-breds at Del Mar on August 2. The bay is now trained by Patty Gallagher and will fly new silks – those of former CHRB chairman Chuck Winner, who privately purchased him following his Graduation tally.

Drayden Van Dyke, who was aboard Positivity for his half-length score in the Graduation, gets the call back Friday.

Here’s the lineup for the I’m Smokin from the rail out with owners, trainers and riders:

Huntertown Farm’s Alpine Thunder (Jose Hernandez, Jr, Tiago Pereira); Reddam Racing’s Jazz Hands (Edward Freeman, Giovanni Franco); Litt or Solis II’s Tacoflavoredkisses (Simon Callaghan, Umberto Rispoli); Positivity; J. Kirk and Judy Robinson’s Good With People (Peter Miller, Abel Cedillo); Nick Alexander’s Pappy Boyington (Steven Miyadi, Ricky Gonzalez); Brown, Jr., Klein or Lebherz’s Touchdown Brown (Rafael Becerra, Juan Hernandez); K M N Racing’s Scooby (Jerry Hollendorfer, Flavien Prat); Reddam Racing’s Found My Ball (Doug O’Neill, Mario Gutierrez), and Alexander’s Doc Adams (Miyadi, Ruben Fuentes).

The second- and third-place finishers in the Graduation behind Positivity are back to try him again Friday. Good With People was in front by four turning for home that day, but faltered late and wound up a half-length short. He’s a son of the Curlin sire Curlin to Mischief. Scooby ran third in the Graduation, a length and a quarter behind the winner, then was wheeled back three weeks later in a one-mile straight maiden turf race where he finished second. He’s by the Medaglia d’Oro stallion Fast Anna.

The two Alexander horses are down from Golden Gate Fields where they took down straight maiden races last month in their first starts. Pappy Boyington is by Grazen, while Doc Adams is a son of Vronsky.

Found My Ball will be making his racing debut in the I’m Smokin. He’s by the late Square Eddie and has been training forwardly at San Luis Rey Downs and Del Mar.

The I’m Smokin will be the 8th Race on a nine-race program. First post is 2 p.m.