Grand Slam Smile has McCarthy grinning ear to ear ahead of Solana Beach
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The ultra-consistent filly Grand Slam Smile has been part of Sean McCarthy’s stable for six months, long enough for the trainer to gain an appreciation for the five-time stakes winner.
“She’s all racehorse,” McCarthy said earlier this week.
In 13 starts, Grand Slam Smile has won seven times and never been worse than third, a record that leaves her at the fore of a field of 11 in Sunday’s $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at Del Mar.
Grand Slam Smile’s chances depend largely on how the first half of the one-mile turf race develops. Grand Slam Smile, who races for owners and breeders Larry and Marianne Williams, often runs near the front, a style that has led to stakes wins at distances ranging from five furlongs to 1 1/16 miles on turf and dirt.
Sneaker, who led throughout the Fran’s Valentine Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on May 24, may set the pace, although fillies such as Only One America and Prancingthruparis are quick enough to lead.
McCarthy said he will entrust jockey William Antongeorgi to decide an early strategy for Grand Slam Smile.
“We’ll have to see how it unfolds,” he said. “In situations like this, you can overanalyze. Let ’em break and see how everything stacks up. I’ll leave it to Billy on what he wants to do. She’s tactical.”
Grand Slam Smile began her career in Northern California with trainer Steve Specht, who retired last winter. Grand Slam Smile was transferred to McCarthy earlier this year. In two starts for McCarthy, Grand Slam Smile won an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs at Los Alamitos on June 28 and was second in the restricted Osunitas Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar on July 20 after setting the pace.
“She ran a little better than I expected,” McCarthy said of the recent loss.
Aside from Grand Slam Smile, there are five stakes winners in the Solana Beach field: Hot Girl Walk, Moment’s Pleasure, Only One America, Prancingthruparis, and Sneaker.
Moment’s Pleasure won the 2024 Solana Beach Stakes. Miso Phansy has yet to win a stakes, but she was second by a nose in the Grade 3 Honeymoon for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita on May 18. Miso Phansy and Moment’s Pleasure often race as stalkers.
Sunday’s race is the stakes debut for Wink and a Grin, a 3-year-old filly owned by Harris Farms and trained Carla Gaines. Wink and a Grin is a closer who finished sixth of 12 in an allowance race at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar on July 20 after chasing a slow pace.
“They just walked,” Gaines said. “She was galloping around there. She never had an opportunity to run.”
Gaines said Wink and a Grin has “no early speed.” Should a fast pace develop in the Solana Beach, however, Wink and a Grin may be a factor in the stretch.
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