Grand Slam Smile short price vs. statebreds in Irish O'Brien

In a nearly flawless career against California-breds, Grand Slam Smile is a head loss away from a perfect record on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course.

The 5-year-old mare won for the second time in three starts on the hillside in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Classic for statebreds at about 6 1/2 furlongs on Jan. 17. She is back on the same course in Saturday’s $100,000 Irish O’Brien Stakes for statebred fillies and mares.

Grand Slam Smile starts on Saturday three weeks after she finished third by 2 1/4 lengths in her graded-stakes debut in the Grade 2 Buena Vista at a mile on turf at Santa Anita.

“I had this race in the back of my mind before I went in the Grade 2,” trainer Sean McCarthy said of the Irish O’Brien. “She likes the course. I didn’t want to pass it up.

“I hope she bounces back.”

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Grand Slam Smile, by Smiling Tiger, races for owners and breeders Larry and Marianne Williams. Grand Slam Smile has won 10 of 18 starts, including eight stakes, and earned $852,120. She has won 7 of 11 races against statebreds.

In the Buena Vista Stakes for fillies and mares, Grand Slam led to the turn before fading to finish behind Thought Process, a four-time stakes winner.

Thought Process “was the best filly in there,” McCarthy said.

Grand Slam Smile was the 4-5 favorite in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint and figures to be a short-priced favorite again on Saturday. Jockey William Antongeorgi, currently riding in Kentucky, has the mount.

Grand Slam Smile starts from the inside post. She typically races on or near the lead, and could be joined early by Young Love, a four-time winner who will be making her stakes debut.

“My filly loves a target anyway,” McCarthy said. “She doesn’t need the lead.

“I don’t see us getting into any sort of battle.”

The Irish O’Brien field includes Take Another Card and Prancingthruparis, who were second and third in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint.

The other runners in a field of six are Moment’s Pleasure, winner of the 2024 Solana Beach Stakes at Del Mar but sixth in the Sunshine Million Filly and Mare Turf Sprint in January, and Miss Practical, who will be a longshot in her first start in a stakes.

Take Another Card was fifth of 11 as the 5-2 favorite in an allowance race against open company on the hillside turf course on Feb. 15 in her second start of 2026.

“She did disappoint me a little bit last time,” trainer Simon Callaghan said. “Maybe the track was kind of speed-favoring and she didn’t get room when needed.”

Take Another Card, winner of the California Cup Oaks for 3-year-old statebred fillies at a mile in January 2025, will be closing from off the pace on Saturday.

“I know it’s a short field, but I think there should be some genuine speed to run at,” Callaghan said. “I think we’ll be finishing.”

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