Bookies Luck draws away late in I'm Smokin score

DEL MAR, Calif. - A slow start cost Bookies Luck at the start of the Graduation Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 6. A clean start in Friday’s $100,345 I’m Smokin Stakes produced a fine performance.

Bookies Luck ($30.20) dueled with Sir Valentine for the opening quarter-mile before taking the lead on the turn of the six-furlong race for California-breds. Bookies Luck was not challenged in the final furlong, drawing off to win by 3 1-4 lengths.

Winning jockey Kent Desormeaux said his mount was always in control while racing outside of Sir Valentine and jockey Martin Pedroza in the opening quarter-mile.

“I was allowing Pedroza to be on the lead,” Desormeaux said. “I was loaded.”

Desormeaux admitted he peeked at the massive infield television in the stretch to gauge how far Bookies Luck was in front.

“I think I became a fan at the eighth pole,” he said. “I was watching TV, too.”

Bookies Luck was timed in 1:10.62. Smokem, a close second in the Graduation, finished second, 3 1-4 lengths in front of Drizzy.

Continental Divide, who won the Graduation Stakes, ran a quiet race in the I’m Smokin Stakes as the 2-1 favorite. He was third early, but never threatened Bookies Luck. Continental Divide finished fourth, 7 1-2 lengths behind the winner.

Unpossible was fifth, followed by Ministersdontparty and Sir Valentine.

Bookies Luck, a colt by Lucky Pulpit, races for owners and breeders Larry and Marianne Williams and trainer Jeff Bonde.

Bookies Luck has won 2 of 5 starts and earned $104,649. Bookies Luck needed three starts to beat maidens, doing so in a maiden race for California-breds at Santa Anita on June 18.

In the Graduation Stakes, Bookies Luck was rushed to the lead after a slow start, but could not sustain the effort and finished eighth, beaten 13 lengths. In the I’m Smokin Stakes, he had a clean start and ran brilliantly to the wire.