Grand Slam Smile © Benoit Photo
One of, if not, the most impressive performance so far of the Bing Crosby Season at Del Mar was the win by Grand Slam Smile in the $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes last Sunday.
The impressive Cal-bred daughter of Smiling Tiger rushed up to the lead shortly after a slow start, hit the front halfway up the backstretch and never stopped, opening up at the top of the lane and showing once again that she deserves strong consideration for Cal-bred Horse of the Year.
“For me, she’s right at the top,” trainer Sean McCarthy said when asked after the race how she ranks among the horses he’s trained. “There’s also Majestic Harbor winning the Gold Cup (2014) but she’s right there at the top with him. I’ve been fortunate to gallop a lot of good horses, too. Grade I winners, top class horses, Breeders’ Cup horses. Unfortunately, I’m too old and fat to get on her now but she’s tremendous.”
Grand Slam Smile was the even money favorite when the gates opened and that looked like a bargain as they turned for home.
“It’s just a thrill to have her,” McCarthy notes. “Somebody asked my wife Kim: ‘Is this becoming repetitious?’ or something like that. It was a fair question and she replied, ‘Honestly, it gets a bit tougher because everybody expects it.’”
Grand Slam Smile is already a two time Cal-bred champion, winning Top 2-year-old Filly in 2023 and Top 3-year-old filly in 2024. That year she won five stakes races including the Solana Beach and the Betty Grable at Del Mar. At the time she was trained by Steve Specht, who retired in 2025 and sent Grand Slam Smile to McCarthy.
“I’m really happy for the Williams,” McCarthy says about the owners, Larry and Marianne. “They’ve been so good to us. Dan Kaiser (the Williams’ racing manager), he just rolls right along with this horse and Steve Specht, I’m sure he’s up in Santa Rosa enjoying this.”
Grand Slam Smile became a millionaire last month when she won the California Distaff Handicap at Santa Anita. She has a remarkable record of 23 in the money finishes out of her 25 career starts.
“That’s why we’re doing it,” McCarthy contends. “That’s why we’re in this position. It’ll make your heart thump there’s no doubt about it but that’s what keeps you going. I like that pressure. It’s kind of like Montana driving 80 yards for a touchdown. You gotta do it to win the game and it’s fun when it happens.”
As for the future plans for the 5-year-old chestnut mare everything points to a return to racing in 2027.
“It looks like we will,” McCarthy reveals. “If everything’s good with her and she’s doing well there’s no reason why we won’t. I think that’s the Williams’ plan and we’ll proceed accordingly.”