Sammy Davis © Benoit Photo

Eight youngsters will go to the gate Friday afternoon at Del Mar in the 36th edition of the I’m Smokin Stakes, a five and one-half furlong dash for California-bred 2-year-olds.

The race is one of 31 California-bred offerings that are part of the $3.825 million Golden State Series that are scheduled at the state’s racetracks over the course of the year. Eight of those events happen at the Del Mar summer session.

I’m Smokin was an especially fast stakes-winning son of Gummo who raced in California from 1978 to 1982.

This year’s edition of the I’m Smokin is headed by Legacy Ranch’s Sammy Davis, who is two-for-two in his brief career so far. The Sir Prancealot gelding was a wire-to-wire victor by two and a quarter lengths in the Graduation Stakes here on August 8, covering the five-furlong distance in :57.80.

Hector I. Berrios rode the dark bay or brown that day for trainer John Sadler and the Chilean native will be back in the boot Friday.

Six of the other seven other runners have already visited the winner’s circle, including Reddam Racing’s homebred Pavlovian, a straight maiden winner at Santa Anita on June 15 and the second-place finisher in the Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar on August 9. Umberto Rispoli again has the call on the gray colt.

Here’s the full field for the I’m Smokin in post position order with their riders:

Sammy Davis; David Hinkins’ Desert Dawg (Kyle Frey); Here We Go Brothers or Seymour Jukie’s Saul Elliott (Antonio Fresu); Paula’s Capestro’s Another Bulleit (Micro Demuro); Mark Breen’s Thirsty Rebel (Abel Lezcano); Knapp, Lovingier or Moroney’s Max Ciao (Armando Ayuso); Lovingier, Moroney or Grey, et al’s Fionello (Ruben Silvera), and Pavlovian.

The I’m Smoking will go as Race 7 on the eight-race Friday program. Racing begins that day at 3 p.m. and the I’m Smokin has a start time of 6 p.m.