ARCADIA, Calif. – The stakes winner Smooth Like Strait may benefit from a two-month gap between an eventful fourth-place finish in the Eddie Logan Stakes on Dec. 29 and Saturday’s $100,000 Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita. In the Logan, Smooth Like Strait broke from outside in a field of nine, reached the front quickly, and then appeared to kick out toward a rival, briefly losing his stride. Smooth Like Strait recovered quickly and was in contention to early stretch before fading to finish 3 1/4 lengths behind winner Encoder as the 6-5 favorite. “A horse came across his heels and he tried kicking behind at the horse and he lost his action for about six jumps,” trainer Michael McCarthy recalled on Thursday. “It took away his advantage. It was a freaky thing. It scared me.” Smooth Like Strait, who won the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at Del Mar on Dec. 1, is part of a field of nine in the Pasadena Stakes at a mile on turf for 3-year-olds, which drew a competitive field. McCarthy has watched Smooth Like Strait train forwardly in recent weeks. :: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter “The little short break has done him some good,” McCarthy said. Smooth Like Strait will need to be in top form. Hariboux and Liar Liar, second and third in the Logan, are part of the field as are Goliad and Last Opportunity, who were second and third in the DeMille. Goliad was later eighth in the Logan after disputing the pace with Smooth Like Strait from an inside post. Other runners include Rager, second in the Baffle Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf Feb. 7, and Club Aspen, who won the King Glorious Stakes for California-bred 2-year-olds on dirt at Los Alamitos in December. The Pasadena Stakes will be the stakes debut for Governance, and the turf debut and first start at a mile for Ra’ad, who was fifth in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs on Feb. 9. Smooth Like Strait, a colt by Midnight Lute owned by Michael Cannon, tends to race near the front. He could face pressure early in the Pasadena from Ra’ad or Governance, who drew the rail. Goliad, who is likely to race as a stalker, was beaten seven lengths in the Logan after leading to early stretch. He raced from a stalking position when second to Smooth Like Strait in the DeMille. Goliad also has had a two-month gap between starts, which trainer Richard Mandella said has been beneficial for him. Goliad had four starts from Sept. 28 to the end of 2019. “He’s looking really well,” Mandella said. “I think the racing caught up with him. I think he’s growing up now and it will be a better effort.” A hot pace would greatly benefit Hariboux, who closed with interest to finish a half-length behind Encoder in the Logan. “He needs cover and he needs a pace to run at,” trainer Jeff Mullins said. “He looks pretty solid in there.”