Grand Slam Smile and Can't Sleep meet at last in Solana Beach
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DEL MAR, Calif. – The veteran California-bred mares Grand Slam Smile and Can’t Sleep were bound to cross paths eventually. It took longer than expected.
Halfway through their 5-year-old campaigns, Grand Slam Smile and Can’t Sleep finally meet on Saturday at Del Mar in the $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes. Grand Slam Smile won the turf mile for Cal-bred fillies and mares last year, while Can’t Sleep will be running two turns for the first time.
Twelve are entered in the Solana Beach, as Grand Slam Smile tries to add to her total of 10 career stakes wins. The 8-5 program favorite, Grand Slam Smile gets a new rider in Juan Hernandez and a drop in class following the first off-the-board finish of her outstanding 22-race career.
Grand Slam Smile finished fifth last month in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. at Los Alamitos. Trainer Sean McCarthy knew right away she was in trouble in the dirt sprint.
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“We lost all chance at the break,” McCarthy said. “The horse next to us reared straight up leaving there and broke her concentration. She kind of bobbled a little bit, and at that point, we’re just playing catch-up. Playing catch-up with that level of horses is a little difficult to do.”
Grand Slam Smile finished four lengths behind winner Sweet Azteca, but she came out of the race in great shape. Hernandez has been working Grand Slam Smile and replaces regular rider William Antongeorgi, who relocated from California to Kentucky.
McCarthy said Antongeorgi “did a great job with her, and he loves her to death, but he’s getting established back there [in Kentucky] a little bit more and riding a little bit more. We just felt, at this stage, let’s stay with a local rider out here.”
Hernandez, Del Mar’s leading rider through Aug. 9, has won five straight stakes at Del Mar. To make it six, Hernandez must ration Grand Slam Smile’s speed. The mare has won short and long, turf and dirt, setting the pace and with pressing trips. She has earned $988,120. A top-three finish Saturday would push her over $1 million mark.
Can’t Sleep is less accomplished but more likely to set the pace. Carla Gaines trains the 3-for-8 turf sprinter, runner-up by a nose last out in the Daisycutter Handicap at five furlongs on turf. She ran a half-mile in 44.56 seconds. That puts her on the lead in the Solana Beach.
“I’ve always wanted to stretch her out,” Gaines said. “She’s a really, really good filly. And I think the mile is definitely in her wheelhouse. And if she can’t do it, she can’t do it. It’s worth a try.”
Listed 4-1 in the program, Can’t Sleep is worth a bet. The speed of the field and dropping in class from an open filly-mare stakes into a Cal-bred stakes, Can’t Sleep could wire the Solana Beach under Emisael Jaramillo. However, only one of the 17 turf miles from July 25 through Aug. 9, all rail settings, were won by the pacesetter. Can’t Sleep is by Om and out of a Curlin mare.
Gaines also entered Wink and a Grin, stretching out from a sprint.
“She comes from out of the clouds. She had no shot in the five-furlong race,” Gaines said. “I ran her in that as a preparation for this race.”
Julian Leparoux rides late-runner Wink and a Grin.
Take Another Card, a stakes winner in 2025, has lost repeatedly to Grand Slam Smile. Simon Callaghan, trainer of late-runner Take Another Card, hopes for a beneficial pace scenario.
“It would be nice if someone can go with Grand Slam Smile. That would help our cause,” Callaghan said.
With front-runners/pacepressers Grand Slam Smile, Can’t Sleep, and Liberation in the field, Take Another Card will have her shot at a come-from-behind win under Umberto Rispoli.
Craig Lewis entered three, all by Clubhouse Ride – Quick Kate, Orange Thunder, and Kikuride. Others in the field are Stop Digging, Fibonaccis Ride, Clubhouse Cutie, and Miso Phansy. The Solana Beach is race 6.
◗ Race 7 Saturday is an interesting dirt sprint for maiden 2-year-olds, including high-profile first-time starter Inshallah. John Sadler trains the Flightline colt, who was produced by Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Bar of Gold.
Inshallah was purchased at a spring auction for $2.1 million. His rivals Saturday include Bob Baffert-trained Emancipate and Absolution, and Michael McCarthy-trained Articulation and Federation. Others in the 5 1/2-furlong race are Icanthelpmyself, Bid, and Domenci.
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