Mo Soul, overlooked in the wagering at 20-1, outbattled 13-10 favored California Diamond in the stretch to win the $150,345 I’m Smokin Stakes for California-bred two-year-olds Friday at Del Mar.

 

With Tiago Pereira in the saddle, Mo Soul wore down California Diamond in the stretch to forge a length and one-quarter triumph in the six-furlong sprint. Rinse and Repeat was a distant third in the field of seven first-year runners.

 

Mo Soul, who won his career debut June 19 in a $50,000 maiden claiming race at Santa Anita but had been idle since then, sped the distance in 1:10.21 and returned $43.20, $12.40 and $6.40 while earning first money of $85,500. The gelded son of Phantom Wildcat was bred and is owned by the Legacy Ranch, Inc. of Peter Parrella of Chino, California. Northern California-based Terry Knight trains Mo Soul.

 

California Diamond, favored on the basis of his record of two wins in three starts, including the Santa Anita Juvenile and a second-place in the Graduation Stakes a month ago, paid $3 and $2.40, while Rinse and Repeat returned $4.80 to show.

 

 

TIAGO PEREIRA (Mo Soul, winner) – We had a good position, but he’s a little green and I had to push on him to get him going. But he responded very well. And he finished with his ears up so he was going easy at the end.

 

KENT DESORMEAUX (California Diamond, second) – He’s still learning. We were in a good spot but he kinda got lost out there on the lead. He’s built like a five-year-old stud.

 

MARIO GUTIERREZ (Rinse and Repeat, third) – We got a little shut off leaving the gate and I had to back off to find a spot where I could let him run. He finished okay and he got some experience today.

 

TERRY KNIGHT (Mo Soul, winner) – He broke his maiden well at Santa Anita (June 19). We took him to Pleasanton and he got sick. Then we went to Santa Rosa and he got loose in the post parade and got scratched. After that, there really wasn’t any plan with this horse. But he’s training great and I didn’t have any other options that I could see and the owners were okay with running him in this stakes. He’s not a real fast horse but he’s got good tactical speed and he finished well today. We’ll take him back up north and decide what to do next from there.

 

 

FRACTIONS  - 22.43  46.16  58.26  1:10.21

 

The stakes win was the second of the meeting for jockey Tiago Pereira and his first in the I’m
Smokin. He now has three stakes wins at Del Mar.

 

The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Terry Knight and first in the I’m Smokin. Over-all, it was his  second Del Mar stakes victory and first since l998 when Time to Meet won the C.T.B.A. Stakes.

 

The Legacy Ranch, Inc. is the nom de course of Peter Parrella of Chino, California.