Defection of R Heisman leaves I'm Smokin more of a contest
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DEL MAR, Calif. – Securely atop the California-bred juvenile class after winning the Graduation Stakes last month, R Heisman will aim for a more ambitious goal than statebred leadership.
Despite being the early favorite in the $100,000 I’m Smokin Stakes Friday at Del Mar, R Heisman is expected to scratch to run Sunday in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity. Owned by Gary Barber and trained by Peter Miller, the colt is an outsider in the Futurity, which Miller won in 2019 with 35-1 longshot Nucky.
“I think we’re going in the Futurity,” Miller said Wednesday, referring to R Heisman. “That’s what Mr. Barber wants to do, so that’s what we’re going to do.”
The likely defection of R Heisman from the I’m Smokin leaves five runners, including impressive debut winner Shea Brennan, speedster Bodacious, Miller’s maiden winner Style Cat, maiden The Gypsy Cowboy, and longshot Timty. The six-furlong tilt is the second race on Friday’s card which begins at 3 p.m. Pacific.
Bodacious could be the speed of the field while reunited with jockey Tyler Baze, who rode him to a smashing debut in May at Santa Anita. Bodacious, who is trained by Jorge Periban, next finished sixth in the Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs and the Graduation Stakes.
Last out in the Graduation, Bodacious lost his chance at the start. He veered in, was shuffled to last, rushed to midpack, and sputtered. Friday, Periban will remove the blinkers Bodacious wore his first three starts. It will be a late equipment change; blinkers off is not listed on the overnight.
“Some horses get a little scared [after a slow start],” Periban said, explaining the blinkers-off move. “They have to be more open [to see their surroundings].”
Baze was aboard Bodacious for both recent works without blinkers, and will ride him Friday from the outside post.
The most likely winner of the I’m Smokin might be Phil D’Amato-trained Shea Brennan, whose first two scheduled starts did not go according to plan. He lost his rider July 7 in the post parade of a maiden race at Los Alamitos, and scratched. That postponed his official debut until July 26 at Del Mar. He seemed to lose his chance when he broke last of nine.
As it turned out, Shea Brennan was simply better than the rest. He recovered from the slow start, got a ground-saving trip under Kyle Frey, rallied from last, and won going away.
“He broke slow, came up the rail, and ran down his competition. I was impressed with that,” D’Amato said. “He came back and breezed very well. Breezed him out of the gate [on Aug. 30] just to sharpen him up out of there, and he was much better.”
Shea Brennan, sired by Tough Sunday, may have more speed than he showed in his debut. He will have to use it from the rail on Friday. Of course, Shea Brennan is facing tougher than he met first out. Seven of his eight debut rivals ran back, producing only a single runner-up finish in a maiden-claiming race.
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