Smooth Air takes flight in Hutcheson

Smooth Air was a surprise winner of the Hutcheson (Eleanor Gustafson/Horsephotos.com)

Mount Joy Stables' homebred SMOOTH AIR (Smooth Jazz) was overlooked in the

wagering for Saturday's $150,000

Hutcheson S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park, leaving the gate as an unheralded 9-1

in the first graded stakes of 2008 for three-year-olds on the dirt. In the

stretch, however, the Calder-based bay swept to the front and maintained his

momentum all the way to the line, upsetting his more fancied rivals. Trained by

Bennie Stutts Jr. and ridden by Manoel Cruz, Smooth Air reeled off seven

furlongs in 1:23 1/5 on a sloppy, sealed track to become the first stakes winner

for his first-crop sire.

In the opening stages, Tiz It (Tiznow) flashed speed from the rail, pressed

by Silver Edition (Silver Deputy) and Golden Spikes (Seeking the Gold) through

torrid fractions of :22 and :44 2/5. Midway on the far turn, the early leader

began to tire and soon gave way to Silver Edition, who seized control and

appeared to be full of run as he led the way into the stretch. Meanwhile, Smooth

Air was just commencing his rally from midpack. After darting through rapidly on

the inside, Smooth Air angled to the outside and took dead aim on Silver

Edition. The eventual winner collared Silver Edition at the eighth-pole and

gradually increased his margin to one length at the wire.

"This horse has improved a lot," Cruz said. "I have been saying to

the trainer that this horse will get better with longer races. He showed

that here. He held himself up well for me. He was jumping shadows early

in the race, so I had to take him close to the other horses to keep his

attention. If he hadn't done that early in the race, he probably would

have beaten that horse by even more. That's a good boy right there."

"The Calder horse did well," Stutts said. "You should never count

them out. I've been training for 40 years, and this is the biggest race

I've ever won."

Ranking as the sixth choice in an eight-horse field, Smooth Air rewarded his

backers with payouts of $20.60, $9.40 and $5.40. The nearly 14-1 Silver Edition

stayed on stubbornly in a fine runner-up effort, yielding $12.20 and $6.20. It

was another three lengths back to near 5-2 favorite Halo Najib (Halo's Image),

who checked in third and paid $2.80 to show. The $1 exotics totaled $88.10

(exacta), $378.70 (trifecta) and $2,510.80 (5-6-4-9 superfecta) with Golden

Spikes finishing 3 3/4 lengths adrift of Halo Najib in fourth. Big Truck (Hook

and Ladder) came in fifth in the strung-out field, trailed by Tiz It, Coal Play

(Mineshaft) and Notgivinmyloveaway (Not for Love). Grand Minstrel (Grand Slam)

and Cool Coal Man (Mineshaft) were scratched.