Seattle Smooth draws off easily

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The ear-to-ear smile on trainer Tony Dutrow's face wasn't simply because Seattle Smooth won Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 Bed o' Roses Handicap at Aqueduct. It was because Seattle Smooth won it so easily despite not being 100 percent fit.

"She was not at her best today," Dutrow said. "When I watched her at the top of the stretch I said to myself once again, 'This is a very good filly,' because I know that she was not all there today."

Seattle Smooth, making her first start since last September, certainly looked like a filly at the top of her game as she cruised past the front-running duo of Distorted Passion and Are We Dreamin turning for home and galloped to a 5 3/4-length victory. Are We Dreamin came back to get second by a neck over Distorted Passion. Awesome I Am was last.

Lovely Isle, Spritely, and Cowgirls Don't Cry all scratched.

It was the fifth victory from 11 starts for Seattle Smooth, and third consecutive since coming east to Dutrow and moving to dirt. Seattle Smooth, a daughter of Quiet American, was making her first start since upsetting 3-year-old filly champion Proud Spell in the Fitz Dixon Cotillion at Philadelphia Park last Sept. 20.

Under Ramon Dominguez, Seattle Smooth sat off Distorted Passion and Are We Dreamin, who dueled through fractions of 23.43 seconds and 46.65 for the opening half-mile. Seattle Smooth made a three-wide bid around the turn, and turning for home Dominguez asked his filly just a little bit and she responded by drawing away from the field with devastating ease. Seattle Smooth, owned by Mercedes Stables, covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.48 and returned $4.30 as the even-money favorite.

"It was as easy as it looked," said Dominguez, who won three races on the card. "I cannot take credit for anything there - I was just a passenger. She switched leads on command. I just put a little pressure on her mouth, and on her own she was just striding out. Very nice."

Dutrow said Seattle Smooth would run next in the Grade 2, $150,000 Shuvee at Belmont on May 16.