Mike Smith

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...

In hindsight, the victory by Geaux Rocket Ride in Saturday's GI Haskell S. was not at all difficult to predict. The real puzzler is how this top-tier Candy Ride (Arg) colt was let go at 12-1 in the betting. A pari-mutuel post-mortem points to a "perfect storm" anchored by two factors: The 2-for-2 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo), the highly hyped sophomore from last winter, absorbed overzealous 11-10 favoritism despite not having raced in six months, with the Bob Baffert training factor (nine Haskell wins) contributing mightily to...

This year's GI Haskell was flattered by a GI Kentucky Derby winner in Mage (Good Magic), an undefeated $2.3 million OBS purchase in Arabian Knight (Uncle), in addition to this season's GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Tapit Trice (Tapit), who realized a healthy $1.3 million at Keeneland last September. However, it was Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella who pulled the rabbit out his hat with Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}), who sprang the upset when coming from off the pace to best the Derby winner at odds...

Some two years ago, Randall Lane, the chief content officer for Forbes, and Bob Daugherty, an investor and educator, met for dinner and the conversation turned to horse racing. Both are fans of racing and they started to talk about why the sport isn't nearly as popular as the four major sports. The answer, they concluded, is that in baseball, basketball, football and hockey, the sports center around teams, leagues and standings. People fall in love with their teams, they root for them, they pay to see them play, they...