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MIAMI - Trainer Shug McGaughey proved once again why he is in the Hall of Fame after bringing Casbalanca Smile back from an 11-month layoff to win the 1 1/2-mile La Prevoyante Handicap on Friday's closing-day program at Calder.
Casablanca Smile had been idle since finishing second behind Changing Skies in the first edition of the Grade 2 La Prevoyante run in 2011 on Jan. 2. With Javier Castellano doing a masterful job of rating the Chilean-bred on the lead, Casablanca Smile coasted through early fractions of 25.31 seconds, 51.63, and 1:18.01 for the first six furlongs and then had more than enough left in the tank to hold off the 5-2 favorite, Mr. Ryder, to post a 1 1/2-length decision. Mr. Ryder, the tepid favorite in a field of 11 long-winded fillies and mares, chased the winner from flagfall to finish but was not good enough while finishing nearly three lengths clear of longshot Tesoro de Amor to be second.
Casablanca Smile, a 5-year-old daughter of Ocean Terrace, paid $7.60 as the second choice. She completed the distance in 2:31.51 over the firm course. Casablanca Smile, a multiple Group 1 winner in Chile, is owned by the Green Hills Farm Inc.
The victory gave Castellano a sweep of the afternoon's two graded stakes. He also won the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap earlier on the card.
"She's a very, very classy filly," McGaughey said by phone from Kentucky. "Naturally you'd be concerned going this distance off that kind of layoff, but I liked that three-quarters in 1:18. It certainly helped. I thought she'd run good today, and if she got beat if would be the layoff."
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A creditable third last out stamps SMART HOMBRE as a possible standout in this maiden-20. He dueled on fast fractions, shook off his pace foes (they finished seventh and ninth), and missed by only a half-length. Now he shortens from six and one-half furlongs to six, and meets a field with less speed. He he can lead gate to wire as the most probable winner on the card. LINCECUM is 0-for-10, but has ability. He had a tough trip Jan. 13, and returned with a decent third last time while racing behind runners. One of these days he will get a clear trip and win a race such as this.
