Smooth Bid has class to offset outside post

Smooth Bid must overcome post 10 in Saturday night's $45,000 No Le Hace Stakes, but what he lacks in the draw he makes up for in class and will go favored in the 7 1/2-furlong turf race, which closes out the meet at Retama Park.

Smooth Bid enters the No Le Hace off consecutive stakes-placings at Remington Park. He was third in the $150,000 DeBartolo Memorial Breeders' Cup on Sept. 3, then returned to run third again, beaten a half-length by graded stakes winner Ascertain, in the $100,000 Remington Green.

Smooth Bid has used off-the-pace tactics in some of his races, and with the wide draw and a cutback in distance could drop right in behind the leaders at the start. Several with speed are to his inside, including Windy Lou, who stretches out around two turns from his rail post; Goosey Moose, a multiple stakes winner who tends to race with the pace; and recent optional claiming winner Haveuseenthelight.

Trainer Steve Asmussen co-owns Smooth Bid with Dakota Stables and has given the mount to Rohan Singh.

Goosey Moose drew well in post 2. He ran third in the $100,000 Texas Hall of Fame for statebreds in his last start Oct. 13, and has a license to move forward Saturday in his second start since July. Steve Bourque has the mount for trainer Danny Pish, who has already clinched his ninth straight Retama training title.