Multi-millionaire gelding GET SMOKIN was back in top form on Saturday, December 7, leading all the way in the snow to win the $141,130 Valedictory Stakes (G3) at 1 1/2 miles on Tapeta.
The seven-year-old by Get Stormy – Hookah Lady by Smoke Glacken was impeccably prepared by Mark Casse and his team to win the popular stakes race off a nine-week layoff in only his second attempt on the all-weather track.
Under Woodbine’s leading rider Sahin Civaci, Get Smokin went right to the lead, set a soft pace of 25.67, 50.77 and 1:16.24 while some of his rivals were being wrestled back to stay off the pace. After two turns, the chestnut had just a one-length lead over Collective Force and jockey Ryan Munger and Stanley House with Luis Contreras.
Those two rivals ran out of gas, however, while Get Smokin kicked away by a couple of lengths, finally winning by 3 1/4 in 2:31.64. That translated into a 93 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form.
Classic Mo Town, claimed by Bruno Schickedanz in February for $25,000, was along for second for trainer Martin Drexler, and Loose Wire, the surprising favourite, grabbed third for Repole Stakes and St. Elias Stable.
Get Smokin was 5-to-1 and only once in the last two years has he been a favourite.
Owned by Ironhorse Racing Stables LLC, which offers racing partnerships, BlackRidge Stables LLC, Saratoga Seven Racing Partners and T-N-T Equine Holdings, Get Smokin has won eight of 32 races and $2.13 million.
Casse owns the Valedictory Stakes, having sent out the winner five times in the last seven years and seven times in total.
The Valedictory was the 33rd stakes win at Woodbine for Casse this year, a record. The barn has 52 stakes wins in North America, third behind Chad Brown and Brad Cox, and Casse has 222 wins this year in North America, just 13 shy of a personal mark.
Get Smokin was originally an $11,000 yearling purchase by Mary Sullivan from Hurstland Farm and James Green Jr. Sullivan raced the gelding until 2022 when the current owners bought him privately and turned him over to Casse.
The highest Beyer Figure earned on Saturday was the 96 put up by the very exciting EARHART (Fr) who remained unbeaten from two races with another easy sprint win. LNJ Foxwoods’ grey three-year-old by Soyouni (Fr) won her debut by 6 3/4 lengths geared down and earned an 88 Beyer. In the snow in the race after the Valedictory, Earhart and jockey Rafael Hernandez quickly cleared her rivals and drew off to win by 11 lengths in 1:21.99. Trained by Josie Carroll, Earhart was co-bred by LNJ Foxwoods and Ecure Des Monceaux.
NORTHERN RUBY, 10, won the final race of her Woodbine career in the finale for $7,000 claiming. The Ron Sadler homebred by Giant Gizmo was winning for the 10th time and third this year. She has only had 34 career races.
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