Cairo Prince added Smokin’ Jay to his growing list of 2021 stakes winners when the 3-year-old colt won a thrilling edition of the $100,000 Allied Forces S. on Sept. 17 over the Belmont Park turf course.
Second by a nose in the Tom Ridge S. on Aug. 2, Smokin’ Jay won Friday’s six-furlong affair by a neck in dramatic style. He was fairly close to the pace early in the race, then dropped back to sixth on the turn. As he straightened for home, Smokin’ Jay switched from inside to out, had to check in midstretch, then rallied strongly in the final sixteenth to get past Momos in the final strides.
The winner completed the distance on the firm turf in 1:09.14.
“When we came to the top of the stretch the horse in front of me came out, I was right behind and I had to push out to get into the clear,” jockey Luis Saez said. “And as soon as I hit him left-handed, he switched leads and he came out more. That’s why I was nervous if we won the race.”
Smokin’ Jay, who is owned by Crown’s Way Racing LLC, is now 4-1-0 in 10 starts and has earned $148,976.
The gray/roan colt was bred in Kentucky by Dede McGehee. Cairo Prince is the sire of five stakes winners and 10 stakes horses overall this year. He is currently second on the Fourth-Crop sire list with nearly $5 million in progeny earnings.
