Smokey Image pointed to King Glorious

The 2-year-old Smokey Image is unbeaten in five sprints, the most recent of which was the $200,500 Golden State Juvenile at Del Mar on Friday. For his next start, Smokey Image will be pointed for the $100,000 King Glorious Stakes for California-breds at a mile Dec. 12 at Los Alamitos.

The King Glorious will define how Smokey Image will be raced in coming months. A win could lead to a start in a prep for the Triple Crown in early 2016.

Smokey Image has won at distances ranging from five to seven furlongs. In the Golden State Juvenile, Smokey Image closed from seventh in a field of 10 California-breds to win by three-quarters of a length. He raced in traffic on the turn but recovered to close impressively under jockey Juan Hernandez.

“He had to stand straight up,” trainer Greg James said. “I thought he was done.”

James, who is based at Golden Gate Fields in Northern California, said the Golden State Juvenile took little out of Smokey Image.

“He was prancing to the test barn,” James said.

The colt is by Southern Image, who won the Santa Anita Handicap at 1 1/4 miles in 2004. The pedigree and the way Smokey Image trains give James confidence that longer distances will not be an issue.

“In his works, he gallops out so strong,” he said.

Smokey Image races for Robert and Betty Irvin and has earned $297,600.

** There are no graded stakes at Del Mar next weekend, the second week of the five-week autumn meeting that runs through Nov. 29.

The track has scheduled two stakes next weekend – the restricted Kathryn Crosby Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf Saturday and the $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at seven furlongs next Sunday.

The next graded stakes is the $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes, a Grade 3 for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs Nov. 14.