Tom Fool H.

Hobeau Farm's SMOKUME (Smoke Glacken) earned his fifth Belmont Park victory

Sunday when holding off Willy o'the Valley (Will's Way) by a length in the $150,000

Tom Fool

H. (G2). Settling in second through the first two splits of :22 2/5 and :45

behind Gadace's Khamseh (Piccolino), the Allen Jerkens trainee drifted wide in

the turn for home and drew clear under jockey Chantal Sutherland. The pair

finished the sloppy seven-furlong event in 1:21 4/5.

"I've got to know Smokume so well that I knew to wait, wait, wait," said

Sutherland, who earned her first graded stakes score in the United States with this

win. "He's never been this calm. He was very relaxed today. When I asked him, he

gave me more than I expected. I think he's getting better. This feels pretty

cool. This is everything you've dreamed of. Hopefully, the ball keeps rolling."

The winning gelding returned $12, $5.30 and $3.80, leading the $57.50 exacta

at 5-1. Willy o'the Valley paid $5 and $3.20 to his backers at nearly 7-2 while

Clever Electrician (Clever Trick) entered the turn the widest of any competitor

in the field. He managed to rally and come home another 2 1/2 lengths back

paying $3.60 for the show and $213 for the 1-5-3 trifecta at 4-1. The 2-1

favorite Swingforthefences (Boston Harbor), Gadace's Khamseh and Voodoo (Petionville)

rounded out the order of finish. Shaniko (A.P. Indy) was scratched from the

race.

"I guess he likes the mud; that's for sure. He's a little stronger than he

was (last year)," Jerkens said. "His father was awful good and tough too. He's

getting to be like his father, but he's got a ways to go yet. You live and hope

in this game."

Jerkens went on to state that Smokume will make his next appearance in the

Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. (G2) on August 13 at Saratoga.

Smokume was bred in Florida by his owners and is out of the Nijinsky II mare

Presume, making him a half-brother to Premont, an unraced

two-year-old by Montbrook. This is Smokume's first graded stakes win and the

four-year-old chestnut improves his line to 17-8-3-0 with earnings of $419,320.