Kennedy Road S. (gr. III)
(CAN-III , 6f ,)
SMOKEY FIRE
(GR/RO g,
115
lb) $96,741
Smoke Glacken —Destroy , by
Housebuster
B—Mel P. Lawson,
ON.;
O—Jim Dandy Stable;
T—Sid C. Attard
Field Commission
(CH h,
121
lb) $32,247
Service Stripe —Tearfull Moment , by
Schossberg
B—Minshall Farms,
ON.;
O—Seltzer, E. and Vella, D.;
T—Daniel J. Vella
Signature Red
(B h,
114
lb) $15,423
Bernstein —Irish and Foxy , by
Irish Open
B—Gary K. Tussey,
KY.;
O—Norseman Racing Stable;
T—Sid C. Attard
Margins: ¾, 1¼, head. Others: Grazettes Landing 115($9,674) , Storm Treasure 115($4,206) , Jungle Wave 119($374) , El Brujo 123($374) , Bogue Chitto 118($374) , Home for Harlan 116($374) . Winning Jockey, Emma-Jayne Wilson.
Smokey Fire made his stakes debut a memorable one as he took the lead in mid-stretch and had plenty left in the tank to hold off Field Commission for a three-quarter-length victory in the Nov. 21 Kennedy Road Stakes (Can-III) at Woodbine.
Sent off at odds of 6-1, Smokey Fire was content to sit off a hot early pace set by Home for Harlan. As the field rounded the far turn, jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson had Smokey Fire well positioned in third, and then they came with a four-wide move into the stretch to take the lead.
Field Commission, who entered the Kennedy Road off a victory in the Nearctic Stakes (Can-II), made a strong bid in deep stretch, but it came too late, with Smokey Fire able to hold on for the victory.
The victory in the Kennedy Road was the fourth in eight starts for the 4-year-old Smoke Glacken gelding. Unraced until this season, Smokey Fire has never finished out of the money while earning $250,359 for owner/breeder Mel P. LawsonÕs Jim Dandy Stable.
Lawson lives near Burlington, Ontario, and is in the lumber business. A veteran in the Thoroughbred industry, Lawson has raced several other homebreds in addition to Smokey Fire, including Jiggs Coz, who captured the 2008 Dominion Day Handicap (Can-III) and Ginger Gold, winner of the 2001 Natalma Stakes (Can-IIIT).
Another of LawsonÕs homebred stakes winners is Ghost Fleet, a 2-year-old half-brother (by Arch) to Smokey Fire. Out of the Housebuster mare Destroy, Ghost Fleet has captured both the Swynford Stakes and Vandal Stakes at Woodbine this season.
Destroy, who only made three starts during her brief racing career, has proved a star in the breeding shed, producing six winners from six named foals. In addition to Smokey Fire and Ghost Fleet, Destroy is the dam of Utterly Cool, a 3-year-old full-brother to Smokey Fire who captured the Cup and Saucer Stakes last year.
DestroyÕs first foal, a Holy Bull filly named Search the Church, was stakes-placed in both the Ontario Fashion Handicap and Duchess Stakes (Can-III). Destroy has a weanling filly by Strong Hope and has been bred to Smoke Glacken for 2010.
Champion Smoke Glacken is the sire of 42 stakes winners, including additional 2009 graded added-money winners FrolicÕs Dream (gr. II) and Western Smoke (gr. III). Smoke Glacken, who stands at the Beck familyÕs Gainesway Stud near Lexington, will stand for $12,500 in 2010.-M.J.S.
