Santa Anita: Smoking G takes shot at San Vicente

Smoking G is entered in a one-mile allowance race on turf for 3-year-olds on Saturday, but will start in Sunday’s $150,000 San Vicente Stakes over seven furlongs on the main track, trainer Peter Miller said.

The Grade 2 San Vicente is led by Creative Cause, the winner of the Grade 1 Norfolk Stakes here in October. Trained by Mike Harrington, Creative Cause has not started since finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs in November.

“Other than Creative Cause, I think the rest of the field looks pretty equal,” said Peter Miller, who trains Smoking G. “If Creative Cause needs a race, or something like that, I’ve got as good a chance as anyone to win.”

Aside from Creative Cause, the leading contender for the San Vicente is Drill, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity last September. Trained by Bob Baffert, Drill is winless in his last five starts, including a fifth in the minor San Pedro Stakes here on Jan. 22.

Other starters are Captain Obvious, fourth in the Real Quiet Stakes at Hollywood Park in November; Let’s Get Crackin, third in the San Pedro; and the maiden race winner American Act.

Smoking G, owned by Gary and Cecil Barber, has 1 win in 3 starts, a maiden race on the hillside turf course here on Jan. 28. A gelding by Smoke Glacken, Smoking G has never started on a dirt track.

“He’s training really well,” Miller said. “We’ll take a shot and see how he likes the dirt.”

Saturday’s allowance race is led by Cloud Hopper, the winner of a one-mile maiden race on turf on Jan. 16 in his fifth start, and Unusual Heatwave, who was second in an optional claimer on the hillside turf course on Jan. 26.