TDN RISING STARS

February 9, 2018 - Fair Grounds, Race 4, Msw, USD $38,000, 5 1/2F

Smart Response, f, 3, 2015 by Smart Strike

1st Dam: Salty Response (SW, $132,515), by Cozzene
2nd Dam: Lake Huron, by Salt Lake
3rd Dam: My Rainbow, by Lyphard

Owner: Breeze Easy LLC
Breeder: Craig B Singer (KY)
Trainer: Joe Sharp

Breeze Easy LLC’s Smart Response(Smart Strike) was pounded at the windows into 9-5 favoritism for this racetrack debut and the expensive breeze-up purchase ran to the money in a performance worthy of the ‘TDN Rising Star’ designation Friday afternoon at the Fair Grounds. Drawn gate two for the in-form Adam Beschizza, the compact chestnut jumped straight into the bridle and led them along through a fast opening quarter in :22.15. Shaken up vigorously in upper stretch, she continued to sprint away from her rivals into the final eighth of a mile and cruised under the line four lengths to the good of longshot firster Flat Meadow (War Chant). A $275,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase, she worked an eighth of a mile in :10 2/5 and was hammered down for $525,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale, the most expensive of her late sire’s eight juveniles to sell from his penultimate crop in 2017. Smart Strike died in 2015 and is represented by four 2-year-olds from his final crop. Smart Response is a daughter of Salty Response, who graduated sprinting on Polytrack, cleared her first allowance condition going long on the turf and whose best career speed figure came in a five-length romp in the 2008 Lady’s Secret S. at Monmouth Park. Smart Response’s second dam Lake Huron (Salt Lake) was responsible for two-time Grade III winner Salty Strike (Smart Strike). Salty Response is the dam of a yearling filly of this year by Declaration of War.