Grand Slam Smile takes Fasing-Tipton Debutante on new surface

ARCADIA, Calif. — A new surface at a new venue and a 15-minute delay did not deter the Northern California shipper Grand Slam Smile in Saturday’s $98,000 Fasig-Tipton Debutante for 2-year-old fillies at Santa Anita.

Grand Slam Smile beat maidens by a convincing four lengths in her debut on the synthetic track at Golden Gate Fields on May 14. The Fasig-Tipton Debutante was her second start, and first on dirt.

Ridden by Frank Alvarado, Grand Slam Smile ($9.40) rallied between 9-5 Becky’s Dream and 3-5 favorite Crazy Hot to take the lead in the final sixteenth. Grand Slam Smile ran five furlongs in 58.41 seconds and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 67.

Alvarado had Grand Slam Smile in a stalking position behind Becky’s Dream through an opening quarter-mile in 22.31 seconds. Grand Slam Smile trailed her two main rivals by a length entering the stretch and closed well to win by a half-length over Becky’s Dream.

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Grand Slam Smile gave Alvarado clues midway through the race that she would be a factor in the stretch.

“At the three-eighths pole, I smooched a little bit and I thought, Wow. I’ve got it,” Alvarado said.

Becky’s Dream held second, finishing 5 1/4 lengths behind Crazy Hot who appeared poised in early stretch to win.

“She was in the perfect position to win the race, and the others kept going,” said Geovanni Franco, who rode Crazy Hot.

Stormy Gal finished last of four. The race was delayed 15 minutes after Motet became fractious in the gate and was eventually scratched.

Motet, a first-time starter, was scheduled to be ridden by Kyle Frey, who injured an ankle in the gate incident and was taken to a local hospital for examination. Jockey Armando Aguilar was briefly named to ride Motet, but then rejected the mount, stewards said.

Motet was withdrawn when no other jockeys volunteered to ride Motet, who was 25-1 when she was withdrawn.

Alvarado, 54, is a prominent rider in Northern California. The Fasig-Tipton Debutante was his first stakes win in Southern California since She’s a Tiger won the Landaluce Stakes at Hollywood Park in 2013. Alvarado rides infrequently in Southern California.

Grand Slam Smile, by Smiling Tiger, races for owners and breeders Larry and Marianne Williams and trainer Steve Specht. Grand Slam Time has earned $83,400.

Specht said in the winner’s circle that Grand Slam Smile will be pointed to stakes at the Del Mar summer meeting.

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