Smile Happy outfinishes Art Collector to win Alysheba

Louisville, Ky.

As horses go, Smile Happy is an alpha dog. That can be a good thing and a bad thing.

“He’s tricky to deal with sometimes,” his trainer Kenny McPeek said. “I think the last couple of races, we kind of figured his number.”

It might be 1 1/16 miles. In three tries Smile Happy (7-1) never has lost at that distance, winning again Friday afternoon in the Grade 2, $600,000 Alysheba Stakes on a sunny, 74-degree afternoon at Churchill Downs.

The 4-year-old Runhappy colt stalked the early lead for the first three-quarters of a mile before moving in front in the second turn en route to a two-length victory over Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) winner Art Collector (7-2).

That was during the race. McPeek said it was beforehand when the sport’s newest millionaire displayed, for a change, a less than ornery disposition.

“We learned a lesson in the last run,” McPeek said, referring to a third-place finish April 1 in the Oaklawn Mile Handicap (G3). “We’ve got a little trick to take him to the gate, because he’s known to back up, and he doesn’t want to come to the gate.”

“Kenny has kind of figured out that we bring him over with a lip chain and the halter,” said jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., who raced Smile Happy for the first time since a debut win in October 2021. “This is the first time I’ve ridden him in a while, but what I’ve figured is after we warm him up, we just take him and bring him right behind the gate. That way we don’t have any issues with trying to get him back moving again.”

After looking a little toey in the new, circular paddock, Smile Happy loaded uneventfully and broke alertly, quickly getting in stride to race no more than a half-length behind early pacesetter and post-time favorite West Will Power (3-5).

“My horse has not faced these kind of (older) horses yet in his career,” Hernandez said. “When I went around the first turn, and I felt like we went pretty slowly, he was cruising with his ears up. I was kind of surprised that he was traveling better than West Will Power to his inside.”

The pace was not hot. West Will Power clocked early fractions of 24.30 and 47.80 seconds and 1:11.50, and Smile Happy was being wound up to pounce.

“I think the pace was a result of everybody kind of worrying about Rich Strike back there,” said McPeek, mindful of the fact the 80-1 Kentucky Derby winner from 363 days ago was made to close on fast, early fractions. “They didn’t want to go too fast to set it up for him like what happened a year ago.”

Hernandez felt like he had a good thing going midway through the race.

“Once we once we straightened on the backside, I was like, wow, this horse is really stepping forward today,” Hernandez said. “And then from the half-mile pole home, I was pretty confident that he was going to be able to hold them off just because he did everything so easily and effortlessly.”

Smile Happy strode around the turn in the two path, and 6-year-old Art Collector went wider to replace 6-year-old West Will Power near the front. It became a two-horse race at the top of the stretch. Even though Art Collector looked willing, Smile Happy gradually pulled away.

“He hasn’t been able to break good enough out of there,” Art Collector’s jockey Júnior Alvarado said. “I’ve been stuck in the one hole, so by the time we get ready to do the running, I already have horses in front of me. That’s the only concern I still have is that he hasn’t been breaking too good for me to engage and get closer to the lead.”

“Not much of an excuse,” Art Collector’s trainer Bill Mott said. “They beat us today.”

Smile Happy, owned by Mike Mackin’s Lucky Seven Stable, led through a mile at 1:35.12 and was clocked at a winning time of 1:41.29. He paid $17.48, $6.74 and $3.18. Art Collector placed second and returned $4.88 and $2.66. West Will Power was a beaten favorite for the third time in four races, and his third-place result paid $2.22 to show.

“The winner was just going better than me all the way around,” said Flavien Prat, who rode West Will Power for trainer Brad Cox. “I was pleased with my trip, but he was on top of me the whole race. He was moving better than me. I think (West Will Power) needs more ground.”

Last Samurai (5-1), Rich Strike (9-1) and Milliken (13-1) finished fourth through sixth in that order.

Since winning the 2022 Derby, Rich Strike has lost his last six races.

“I’m unusually disappointed in the effort,” his trainer Eric Reed said. “I expected him to finish better. He was where he was supposed to be, but he didn’t fire at all.”

McPeek said Smile Happy, now 8: 4-2-1 with $1,019,890 in earnings, might be pointed to the Blame Stakes (G3) in June and the Stephen Foster (G2) in July, both 1 1/8-mile races at Churchill Downs.