Arkansas Derby may be in future plans for Smoke It Right

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.- Smoke It Right might get a shot at bigger prizes this meet at Oaklawn Park after remaining undefeated in four career starts in the $60,000 Mountain Valley for 3-year-olds. It was the second stakes win for the horse, whose connections will consider a start in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 16.

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Smoke It Right ($5) broke on top in the six-furlong Mountain Valley, and led the field through fractions of 22.21 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.85 for the half-mile. In the stretch, he held off a bid from Keep On Giving to win by 1 ¼ lengths in 1:11.26. Gabriel Saez rode the winner for co-owner and trainer Benard Chatters.

“He ran good,” Chatters said. “He’s fast. He had him gagged up in 22 [seconds for the opening quarter] and I said, ‘They won’t get by him when he gets up there easy like that.’ ”

Smoke It Right had won three races by a combined margin of 24 lengths heading into the Mountain Valley. He began his career with a track-record performance at Evangeline Downs on June 26. Smoke It Right proceeded to win the $50,000 Lafayette at Evangeline one start later, in September, then took an allowance at Delta Downs in his 3-year-old debut in February.

Glint finished third in the Mountain Valley, a length behind Keep On Giving.

Chatters co-owns Smoke It Right, a son of Smoke Glacken, with Rand Metoyer.

Attendance at Oaklawn on Saturday was 15,812.