Oliver © Benoit Photo
Eight two-year-olds bred in California will match strides Friday in the 29th running of the $100,000 I’m Smokin Stakes at six furlongs.
From the rail out, entrants are Listing, making his career debut under Mario Gutierrez; Bea’s Boy, apprentice Heriberto Figueroa; Oliver, Joe Talamo; Hey Sal, Geovanni Franco; Irish Heatwave, Kent Desormeaux; Silken Prince, Flavien Prat; Eighty Proof, Martin Garcia, and Policy, leading Del Mar pilot Drayden Van Dyke.
Oliver, a son of Papa Clem trained by Luis Mendez, is the lone runner with stakes experience, having finished third behind Tap the Wire in the Graduation Stakes August 4. He broke his maiden easily in his previous outing, scoring by five and one-quarter lengths.
Bea’s Boy, Hey Sal, Silken Prince, Eighty Proof and Policy all are winners of a maiden race. Irish Heatwave is the only youngster without a maiden success, having run third to Silken Prince early in August in his single race.