Belmont Park: Atlantic's Smile looks to join in family success

ELMONT, N.Y. – As a sibling to three New York-bred stakes winners, Atlantic’s Smile has quite the family tree. If her last two races are an indication, Atlantic’s Smile is ready to climb into the nest.

On Sunday, Atlantic’s Smile will attempt to take the next step in her maturation process when she tries to clear the restricted first-level allowance hurdle at Belmont Park. The $72,000 six-furlong dash scheduled for turf is one of four New York-bred allowance races sprinkled throughout Belmont’s 10-race card.

Atlantic’s Smile is by Stormy Atlantic out of the mare Serenity’s Smile, who has produced stakes winners Stormy’s Smile (a full sister to Atlantic’s Smile), Johannesburg Smile, and Wildcat’s Smile from three prior foals.

Serenity’s Smile is “a 100 percent stakes-producing dam,” said Dominic Galluscio, who trained all the progeny for owner and breeder Francis Paolangeli. “If I had five more like that, I’d be able to make a living at this.”

It took Atlantic’s Smile four tries to win for the first time, something she did at Saratoga on Aug. 11, when Galluscio added blinkers to her equipment. Atlantic’s Smile had bore out pretty badly in her previous race at the Spa.

In her most recent start, a seven-furlong race at Belmont, Atlantic’s Smile finished second after setting some fast early fractions under Javier Castellano.

“With a couple more races under her belt, she’s so much more aggressive,” Galluscio said. “Last time, she went to the lead and ran very fast fractions. Javier knows her well now, and he’ll know he won’t have to turn on the engine quite so early.”

On Sunday, Atlantic’s Smile looms as the horse to catch and figures to have to hold off the likes of Ideal Place and Scribbling Sarah. Ideal Place bobbled at the break and had a wide trip when rallying to be third in this condition Oct. 2.

Scribbling Sarah won her maiden from well back Aug. 2 before finishing an even fourth in her first try against winners here Sept. 7.

Atlantic’s Smile is one of four runners Galluscio has on Sunday’s program.

In the eighth race, a $16,000 claimer, Galluscio drops Amber Coast from a win for $20,000 at Saratoga. “He’s in with his friends,” Galluscio said.

In the ninth, a first-level optional claimer for New York-breds, Galluscio puts Nonnie Connie back on dirt after three unsuccessful turf tries.

“I think she’s in a good spot and is very fit right now,” Galluscio said. “I don’t think the turf moved her up, but it didn’t hinder her.”

In the 10th, Galluscio drops Quantity to the $20,000 level at which he claimed him three starts back.

Galluscio said he believes this is a “totally different caliber” that Quantity is facing than he met Sept. 21 for $35,000, when he finished ninth of 10.