Smokey Image, unbeaten in three starts, including victories in two stakes, in Northern California, brought his act to Southern California Friday and performed to his 3-5 odds, winning the featured $150,000 I’m Smokin Stakes in handy style under regular rider Juan Hernandez.
Smokey Image, a son of Southern Image, shook off the challenge of 3-1 second choice Found Money in midstretch and drew off impressively to win by four and one-quarter lengths in 1:09.60 for the six furlongs on the main track.
Viviendo el Sueno was a distant third, five and three-quarter lengths behind the runner-up and six and one-half lengths ahead of fourth-place Xingontothebone in a spread out field of six California-bred two-year-olds.
Smokey Image, owned by Betty and Robert G. Irvin of Pacific Palisades and conditioned by Greg James, broke his maiden in his first outing at Pleasanton June 21, followed up with a win in the Everett Nevin Stakes and, in his last outing, won the Cavonnier Juvenile Stakes at Santa Rosa August 16.
Smokey Image returned $3.20, $2.20 and $2.10 and earned $85,500 to push his bankroll to $187,600. Found Money paid $3.20 and $2.40, while Viviendo el Sueno returned $2.80 to show.
Flavien Prat, who won four races Thursday, doubled Friday, as did Kent Desormeaux. With his two winners, Prat moved into second place in the jockey standings with 27 victories, nine behind leader Rafael Bejarano and one ahead of Joe Talamo.
There were five perfect tickets in Friday’s Pick Six and each was worth $14,122.
JUAN HERNANDEZ (Smokey Image, winner) – “I talked with the trainer before and we thought we’d come from off it. But he broke so sharp and I didn’t want to take him back; he wanted to go. The other horse (Found Money) gave me some pressure from the outside, but I could feel how much horse I had under me. When I asked him in the stretch, it was all over. He’s a nice horse.”
FOUND MONEY (Mario Gutierrez, second) – “Good race for my horse. We ran into a tough one today.”
MARTIN GARCIA (Viviendo El Sueno, third) – “This was a good race for him; give him some experience. He’ll be better for it. I think he’ll like to go farther. And I told Jerry (trainer Hollendorfer) to try him with blinkers. He’s a little green and I think they might help.”
GREG JAMES (Smokey Image, winner) – “I was a little worried when he was ding-donging with O’Neill’s horse. I was really worried about that. Usually when they’re ding-donging like that one of them gives up. But he’s an unbelievable horse. This horse has been good from day one and he has a lot of fight in him.”
FRACTIONS: :22.39 :45.65 :57.45 1:09.60
The stakes win was the first of the meet for rider Hernandez and only his second ever at Del Mar. He won this same race in 2012 aboard a Native Treasure.
The stakes win was the first ever at Del Mar for trainer James.
The winner is owned by Betty or Robert Irvin of Pacific Palisades, CA.