Smoovin Saturday surges in King Glorious Stakes
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CYPRESS, Calif. - Smoovin Saturday showed the poise of a veteran with a win in Sunday’s $101,500 King Glorious Stakes for California-bred 2-year-olds at Los Alamitos.
Ridden by Tiago Pereira, Smoovin Saturday ($9.20) closed from sixth of eight to win by 1 1/4 lengths over 12-1 John Metcalfe. Can’t Help Myself, the 11-10 favorite, finished third after racing within a length of the front in the stretch.
Pereira rode Smoovin Saturday to a win in a similar manner in a maiden race at a mile on dirt at Del Mar on Nov. 16. Pereira found Smoovin Saturday to be a patient runner in the first half of the King Glorious Stakes.
“He was comfortable behind,” Pereira said.
Tommy Norris (25-1) set a solid pace of 22.90 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.63 for a half-mile, leading by a length over 36-1 Flashy Fritz. Smoovin Saturday was sixth on the backstretch, racing more than five lengths off the pace.
Pereira guided Smoovin Saturday wide on the turn and was slightly more than two lengths behind the leaders with a quarter-mile remaining.
“He took the bridle and I thought that was good,” Pereria said. “When I moved him outside, he responded well.”
John Metcalfe, a maiden after five starts, led briefly in the stretch, but could not hold off Smoovin Saturday, who ran a mile in 1:37.31. Smoovin Saturday earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 72.
Can’t Help Myself, third in the $177,000 Golden State Juvenile at seven furlongs at Del Mar on Oct. 31, was followed in the order of finish by Pavlovian, Fionello, Flashy Fritz, Mo Holland Drive and Tommy Norris.
Smoovin Saturday, by I’ll Have Another, races for Paul and Zillah Reddam and has earned $96,000 in his two wins.
Smoovin Saturday is out of Smoove It, by Square Eddie. Smoove It won the Irish O’Brien Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in 2016, and was second by a nose in the Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita the preceding year.
Smoovin Saturday was trained by Michael McCarthy for his maiden race win. Jonathon Thomas was listed as trainer for Sunday’s race, a temporary replacement for McCarthy, who is in the midst of a 10-day suspension through Wednesday for a violation earlier this fall of the Horseracing and Safety Integrity Authority’s rules regarding intra-articular injections.
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