Smooth Like Strait

Smooth Like Strait, a 2-year-old Midnight Lute colt owned and bred by Cannon Thoroughbreds, broke his maiden in his third career start in a turf sprint at Santa Anita Park on Oct. 31, 2019.

Sent off at 15.60-1 odds in a competitive field for his stakes debut, Smooth Like Strait scored a front-running upset win by 2 1/2 lengths in the Grade 3, one-mile Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at Del Mar on Dec. 1.

Smooth Like Strait finished fourth in a listed stakes at Santa Anita to close out 2019, and then checked in a good second in another listed event on the same course for his February 2020 debut. Trainer Mike McCarthy next shipped the colt to Churchill Downs for the listed War Chant Stakes on May 23, and he scored by 1 ¾ lengths under John Velazquez.

He was then given over two months off before returning in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar on Aug. 9, which he won easily to improve her career record to four wins from eight starts.

Smooth Like Strait shipped back to Kentucky in late summer and finished fourth in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes Presented by Smithfield as the 6-5 favorite. McCarthy kept up the cross-country schedule for his colt by bringing her to Santa Anita Park for the Grade 2 Twilight Derby on Oct. 18, and Smooth Like Strait responded by notching his third graded stakes score, taking the 1 1/8-mile race by a length and a half with Umberto Rispoli aboard.

Smooth Like Strait made his next start in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar in November, and lost by a head to late-rallying Domestic Spending in a thriller. He then returned to the winner’s circle with a professional three-quarter-length score over Storm the Court in the Grade 1 Mathis Brothers Mile at Santa Anita on Dec. 26 to close out his 3-year-old season.

On Mar. 6, 2021, Smooth Like Strait made his 4-year-old debut in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita. He rated off the early pace, then made his move on the final turn. Although he was unable to catch the winner, he held off a swarm of others to hold on for second.  In his his next start in the $1 million, Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes, Smooth Like Strait led into deep stretch but setteld for third behind dead-heat winners Colonel Liam and Domestic Spending.

Following that strong effort, McCarthy shipped Smooth Like Strait back to his California base to prep for a start in the $300,000, Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile Stakes at Santa Anita on May 31. He was sent off as the odds-on favorite in the Shoemaker – the first domestic “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the 2021 Breeders’ Cup World Championships – and he ran like it, setting a lightly pressured pace, drawing off in early stretch, and then having enough left to hold off Say the Word late by 1 1/2 lengths. Smooth Like Strait earned an expenses-paid berth in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF with the victory.

Smooth Like Strait finished second in his next three races, all of them graded stakes in California. He went off at 10-1 in the Mile, and set the pace most of the way before getting caught late by the rating Space Blues. Smooth Like Strait held on for second, beaten by three-quarters of a length.

Smooth Like Strait continued to run well against elite competition as a 5-year-old, setting the pace before finishing third, beaten by just a neck, in the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes April 15 at Keeneland in his first start after a five-month layoff. He next finished second in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes May 30 at Del Mar before yielding late to Santin in the final furlong of the Grade 1 Arlington Million Aug. 13 in another runner-up finish.