Grand Slam Smile © Benoit Photo
The last of the stakes races on opening weekend of the Bing Crosby Season promises to be a good one for no other reason than it has fan favorite, Grand Slam Smile, back to defend her crown. She’s the morning line favorite in the $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes, a seven-furlong test for Cal-bred fillies and mares on the main track.
Grand Slam Smile is one of racing’s newest millionaires, eclipsing the milestone last month with her victory in the $100,000 California Distaff down the hillside turf course at Santa Anita.
“It means a lot,” trainer Sean McCarthy says of surpassing the $1 million mark. “It’s a credit to Steve Specht,” McCarthy continues. “He had her as a 3-year-old and probably knocked out half of it with her. We were lucky enough to receive her from Steve. He recommended that we take her on when he retired and we just appreciate the heck out that.”
The daughter of Smiling Tiger has won 13 races and finished in the money in 22 of her 24 career starts. She has spent much of her eight race 2026 campaign on the turf but, as she proved in last year’s Betty Grable, she can handle the dirt just fine. She did draw the inside post which can be a cause for concern.
“I don’t like it but it is what it is,” McCarthy notes. “Horses with the talent of her level overcome obstacles that other horses can’t so we’re hoping that’s the case on Sunday.”
Grand Slam Smile showed a new dimension last time out when she came from off the pace. She also carried 128 pounds, four more than she’ll carry in the Betty Grable.
“She’s a little bit older now and she’s settling down a little bit more,” McCarthy states. “By the same token it doesn’t take much to light that candle. You pull the trigger on her and she’ll jump.”
The Betty Grable will probably be the end of Grand Slam Smile’s 5-year-old campaign but not necessarily the end of her racing career.
“She’ll run (next year), that’s the plan,” McCarthy says. “Everything’s fine with her and as long as she’s in good shape and wants to keep doing it, we’ll continue with a 2027 campaign.”
First they have to deal with eight other rivals with designs of upsetting the two-time Cal-bred champion. Fibonaccis Ride has already defeated Grand Slam Smile when she won last summer’s $150,000 Solana Beach at Del Mar.
“I think she’s a pretty live Cal-bred filly,” trainer Antonio Garcia says. “The question is going to be the distance and the dirt again. And tactical-wise we may have to change up her style a little bit. She doesn’t really like dirt in her face. That’s going to be the tricky part.”
Fibonaccis Ride has run her last nine races on the grass, all from off the pace.
“I think now that she’s more mature she can handle things a little more,” Garcia claims. “She trains lights out on the dirt especially when she’s in company. Behind horses or in front of horses she’s a super tough filly to beat in the mornings. So, I’m just hoping she gives a good effort.”
Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza has been Fibonaccis Ride’s regular rider since the spring.
“Victor’s done a helluva job with her,” Garcia contends. “Not a lot of people get along with her. He’s done a great job so let’s hope they both continue their friendship.”
She’s No Quant was also a Cal-bred stakes winner during the Del Mar summer meet, capturing the $150,000 Fleet Treat Stakes. She’s been tangling with graded stakes company since, finishing second to Bob Baffert’s Rabeeba in the G3 Torrey Pines at Del Mar and then a distant fifth in the G2 Zenyatta at Santa Anita.
“We took a monster swing in the Zenyatta,” trainer Edward Freeman admits. “Actually, I don’t think she was disgraced. It was probably a sixteenth too far for her. She got the seven eighths pretty comfortably in the summer so we’re here.“
She’s No Quant is a daughter of Pavel and is owned (and was bred) by Reddam Racing.
“I was pretty easy on her after the Zenyatta,” Freeman says, “and she’s bounced back. I’m happy with the way she’s going. From the moment we started training here she’s acted well on the track but she’s as tough as an old boot. She’ll run wherever you want. Just point her in the right direction. She has never slanked out ever.”
The Betty Grable is Race 8 on the nine-race Sunday card. Probable post time is 4 p.m.
Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and the morning line: Grand Slam Smile (Juan Hernandez, 1-1); Christel Clean (Joel Rosario, 5-1); Lino’s Angel (Jose Valdivia, Jr. 30-1); Clubhouse Cutie (Tyler Baze, 8-1); Fibonaccis Ride (15-1); Big Hug (Tiago Pereira, 8-1); She’s No Quant (Hector I. Berrios, 6-1); Issa Court (Armando Ayuso, 12-1), and Lady Mendelssohn (Emisael Jaramillo, 15-1).