Mike Smith

In the latest detour in the exhaustive legal saga stemming from Justify's 2018 GI Santa Anita Derby win, the connections of the horse during his racing career filed a notice last week with the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) requesting that the agency entertain an appeal of a recent board of stewards decision disqualifying the horse from the race and to stay the purse distribution. In response, the CHRB have denied a stay of the stewards' decision but stated that it will "assign a Hearing Officer in this matter where...

More often than not, when the horses hit the finish line for the last Breeders' Cup race of the day, we know who the Horse of the Year is. Usually, someone has done enough to separate themselves from the pack: Flightline (Tapit), Knicks Go (Paynter), Authentic (Into Mischief). Or no one stepped up to unseat the leading contender going in. We have nothing of the kind this year. There were plenty of standout performances on Breeders' Cup Day, but that's part of the problem. The leading contenders are so evenly...

GI Breeders' Cup Classic contender Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) was pulled up during a routine morning work Saturday at Santa Anita. He was vanned off after being helped into the ambulance. The GI Haskell S. winner was breezing into the stretch under veteran jockey Mike Smith when the incident occurred. An update from the Breeders' Cup read: "Geaux Rocket Ride sustained an open condylar fracture with intersesmoidian ligament damage to his right front leg during a workout this morning under Mike Smith, who was uninjured, dismounted, and tended...

Undefeated Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 at Santa Anita Saturday morning in preparation for her next start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies under Mike Smith, who has been aboard the two-year-old daughter of Beholder for each of her two wins. In the work Tamara hooked up with some company, reportedly an unraced two-year-old colt, whom she outworked. "I was actually kind of hoping to gain some company," Smith told Zoe Cadman, "and it worked out great. If I hadn't, she's a pretty good work horse if...

Pin Oak Stud LLC's Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}), winner of the GI TVG.com Haskell S. ahead of a runner-up effort in the GI TVG Pacific Classic, breezed three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.80 over the Santa Anita main track Friday morning as he resumed his serious preparations for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 4. Taking to the track at around 7:45 a.m. PT, the $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate was put through his paces by regular rider and four-time Classic winner Mike Smith, who pronounced himself pleased with...

Two contenders for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic worked Monday but, due to foggy conditions at Santa Anita, only one received an official time. With trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. in from New York to observe, White Abarrio (Race Day) worked five furlongs in 1:00.20. About an hour later, Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) went to the track to work with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith up. Due to the fog, Equibase clockers were unable to determine a final time and distance. Geaux Rocket Ride's trainer, Richard Mandella, said...

Spendthrift Farm's Tamara (Bolt d'Oro), winner of the GI Del Mar Debutante S. Sept. 9, returned to the Santa Anita work tab Wednesday for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. With fellow Hall of Famer Mike Smith in the irons, the homebred out of four-time champion Beholder went three furlongs in :36.0 seconds. "It was an easy three-eights," Smith said. "She went around there nice and happy." Tamara is expected to make her next start in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita Nov. 3. Tamara earned TDN...

'TDN Rising Star' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) was resting comfortably in her stall Sunday morning, the day after capturing the GI FanDuel Racing Del Mar Debutante S. The daughter of Hall of Famer Beholder sat closer to the pace than in her maiden victory. When jockey Mike Smith asked her, Tamara breezed past the pacesetter, opened up by the top of the lane and cruised home much the best. The comments afterward told it all. "It gave me chills," winning trainer Richard Mandella remarked. "I've been here in California for four...

3rd-DMR, $82K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 5:30 p.m. As the summer winds down, there is still more than enough time for juvenile first timers to make their debut. At Del Mar, $1.25-million Fasig-Tipton Yearling Sale buy MC VAY (Constitution) is set for his inaugural trip. Out of Dothraki Sea (Union Rags), who counts both GISW Dixie Chatter (Dixie Union) and GSW Rumor (Indian Charlie) as half-siblings, the dark bay colt is trained by John Shirreffs and will be ridden by Mike Smith. Also entered is $250,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale grad...

Jockey Mike Smith turned 58 on Thursday. Riding for 43 years, he isn't prepared to slow down. Since moving his tack to Southern California in 2001, he has ridden several Hall of Fame horses and was himself inducted in 2003. "The only thing that feels old on me is my memories of the past," said Smith. The Hall of Famer has won four GI Pacific Classics and if Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) makes it to the race this year, Smith will have his eleventh shot at Del Mar's...

Mike Smith joins the TDN Writers' Room following his win aboard Geaux Rocket Ride in the GI Haskell S.

When "Big Money" Mike Smith got the call on Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) in Saturday's GI Haskell S., it was the culmination of a lot of planning and a bit of stalking. "I've had my eye on this colt for quite a while," admitted Smith on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast, presented by Keeneland. "If you have seen him, you've seen that he's such a good-looking horse," said Smith, who talked about watching him through his early races. "And when I got the call that I was...