The question isn’t how Smart as Me won Saturday’s $100,000 Century Mile Handicap.
It isn’t about how the four-year-old won decisively by four lengths either.
Instead, it’s all about how trainer Craig Smith was able to buy Smart as Me for just $6,000 as a two-year-old in Keeneland, at Kentucky’s November 2021 sale.
The latter question is almost impossible to answer.
“Craig has a real good eye for young horses,” said Jamie Graham, who owns the now four-year-old with Smith, Adrian Munro’s Highfield Investment Group, and Keith Johns’ True North Stable.
“But to get Smart as Me for just $6,000 is unbelievable. The horse’s pedigree is amazing. It’s flabbergasting.”
For sure.
Start with the the sire Malibu Moon, who has sired multiple Grade 1 winners, two Eclipse Award winners and Orb, winner of the 2013 Kentucky Derby.
Then there’s Smart as Me’s dam Siren Serenade, who also produced Luminance, who was second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks, sold barren for $1 million and then $1.2 million to Juddmonte Farms in foal to Gun Runner.
Siren Serenade is also the dam of Stellar Sound, who was stakes placed in a graded stake.
But we’re just getting started.
Smart as Me’s second dam is Versailles Treaty, who won $1.2 million with nine wins, nine seconds and two thirds in 20 career starts. Two of the seconds were in the 1991 and 1992 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Three of of the wins were in the Grade 1 Ruffian Handicap at Belmont, the Grade 1 Gazelle, also at Belmont, and the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga.
“Every once in a while you get lucky,” said Graham, who has owned over 100 horses but said that Smart as Me is definitely the best horse he’s ever owned.
But $6,000? Did Smart as Me only have three legs?
“No, just a few minor ailments that just needed time,” laughed Smith, who is having another solid season – which he credits to his staff – won four more races at Century Mile this past weekend and has career earnings just short of $5 million.
“Everybody asks me the same question… (read more here.)
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