TDN RISING STARS

October 29, 2021 - Keeneland, Race 2, Msw, USD $84,000, 1 1/16M, .0000

Smile Happy, C, 2, 2019 by Runhappy

1st Dam: Pleasant Smile, by Pleasant Tap
2nd Dam: Relax And Smile, by Relaunch
3rd Dam: Bunch Of Smiles, by Graustark

Owner: Lucky Seven Stable (Mackin)
Breeder: Moreau Bloodstock Int'l Inc. & White Bloodstock LLC (KY)
Trainer: Kenneth G. McPeek

Smile Happy (c, 2, Runhappy-Pleasant Smile, by Pleasant Tap) became the second 'TDN Rising Star' for young sire Runhappy with this visually impressive debut score around two turns at Keeneland Friday.

The dark bay fired a five-furlong bullet in :59 2/5 (1/57) for Ken McPeek at Churchill Downs Oct. 22 and was backed at 3-1 in this 1 1/16-mile affair. He raced in some traffic on the first turn and settled on the inside in sixth. Locked and loaded heading into the far turn, the Lucky Seven Stable colorbearer split horses nearing the three-eighths marker, and was shot out of a cannon from there, making an eye-catching, three-wide run to hit the front at the top of the short stretch. Smile Happy kept on rolling down the lane beneath Brian Hernandez, Jr., and had 5 1/2 lengths to spare over I'm A War Lord (Gun Runner) on the wire.

Smile Happy, a $175,000 KEENOV weanling and $185,000 FTKSEL yearling, was the most expensive yearling of 45 to change hands by his sire in 2020. Smile Happy is the most recent progeny produced by his dam, a half-sister to stakes winner Miracle Mets (Metfield).