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Hall Of Fame Jockey Mike Smith Makes Rare Appearance At Laurel Park This Saturday

His Hall of Fame career has taken jockey Mike Smith quite literally around the world. His next stop – and first in more than 14 ½ years – brings the affable 56-year-old to Laurel Park.

Based in California since 2000, Smith will be in town Saturday with three mounts on the $200,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) program led by Grade 1 winner Roadster in the $100,000 Polynesian for 3-year-olds and up.

Smith is also named on 4-year-old filly So Darn Hot in the $100,000 Twixt for females 3 and up, like the Polynesian contested at one mile, and 2-year-old filly Tiger to Remember, a second-time starter that is third on the also-eligible list in Race 7, a one-mile maiden special weight scheduled for the Bowl Game turf course.

According to Equibase statistics, it will be Smith's first time at Laurel since winning the Barbara Fritchie Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2) Feb. 17, 2007. A career winner of 5,623 races and more than $336 million in purse earnings, Smith owns a 32-6-6-4 lifetime record at Laurel with $823,190 in purses earned.

“The first time I ever rode at Laurel I won the [1990] Barbara Fritchie on a filly named Amy Be Good for [trainer] Timmy Kelly. That was probably the first time I ever went to Laurel,” Smith said. “It was a long time ago. I'm looking forward to seeing it. I haven't been there in so many years, it's crazy. I'm glad to be heading back.”

Smith is no stranger to Maryland, having ridden in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at historic Pimlico Race Course 19 times since 1984 with two wins – Prairie Bayou (1993) and Triple Crown champion Justify (2008). He has also run second twice and third four times, and in May finished ninth aboard Concert Tour.

“It's always great to get to Maryland,” Smith said. “I wish I had more time. I'm actually going to land, go right to the track, ride and [head] right back out again. I always love to stay and hang out and have some dinner there if I can and get some crabcakes. I always have a good time.”

In addition to Laurel, Smith is looking forward to his reunion with Speedway Stables' Roadster. The 5-year-old son of Quality Road has had Smith up for six of his 13 starts with three wins, two seconds and a third, highlighted by a half-length triumph in the 2019 Santa Anita Derby (G1) that earned him a trip to the Kentucky Derby (G1), where he ran 11th.

An impressive debut winner under Smith in July 2018, Roadster ran third in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) in his only other start at 2. Smith and Roadster were also second in the 2019 Affirmed (G3) and third in the San Carlos (G3) last March at Santa Anita in their most recent start together.

“I've had a lot of back success with Roadster. He's on his comeback trail, so I'm really excited about riding him,” Smith said. “We expected more out of him than what he's shown, because the ability's there. He's shown it in some of his races and he's shown it in the morning, we just haven't been able to get him to do it on a consistent basis.

“He's had his little setbacks and that's kind of been his problem, these minor little setbacks that put him back just a little bit,” he added. “With time off now and making his comeback we're going to see if we can get out of him what we know is in there.”

Bred by Stone Farm and purchased as a yearling for $525,000 by Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner of Speedway, Roadster will be making just his fifth start in the last three years and first since a fourth in the April 30 Alysheba (G2).

Trained for most of his career by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, he came back after more than a year between races to run fourth in the March 20 New Orleans Handicap (G2) for Mike Stidham, based at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. He ran the Alysheba for Baffert before returning to Stidham's care.

“First time I rode this colt, man, I thought a whole lot of him. I certainly thought he was a Derby horse, and he made it to the Derby,” Smith said. “He won the Santa Anita Derby but after that he kind of went backwards on us. Since then he's shown some spark but I know what's in there. I know what I felt before in the past.

“I'm just happy to get back on him and see if we can get him back to where I know he's supposed to be, and that's one of the top older horses in the country. He's that kind of horse,” he added. “He's shown us that already, so it's not like we're looking for something we haven't seen. It's just a matter of if we can get him back on track.”

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Known as 'Big Money Mike' for his success in big races as part of a quality over quantity approach to riding the past several years, Smith has 18 wins from 132 mounts in 2021. Ten of those wins have come in graded-stakes including the Just a Game (G1) with Althiqa and Del Mar Futurity (G1) with Pinehurst. He also won the San Felipe (G2) and Sham (G3) with Life Is Good, Summertime Oaks (G2) and Delaware Oaks (G3) with Crazy Beautiful and Santa Maria (G2) and Santa Margarita (G2) with As Time Goes By.

“I'm doing well, man. I feel great. I keep myself in amazing shape. I started out the year extremely well and then they all kind of went by the wayside. They either were retired or got hurt or something happened,” Smith said. “So, were trying to rebuild. I've got a couple really good young 2-year-olds so I'm excited about those. And now, with Roadster coming back. Hopefully I stay on Life Is Good, as well. If I can get all those back, we're back strong again.”

The 30th running of the six-furlong De Francis for 3-year-olds and up highlights Saturday's 11-race program, featuring defending champion Laki and recent Saratoga stakes winner Wondrwherecraigis, both based at Laurel, as well as Grade 1-placed Jalen Journey trying to give Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen his fourth sprint stakes victory in Maryland this year.

Also on the card is the $100,000 Weather Vane for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting six furlongs led by multiple stakes winner Hello Beautiful. All four stakes are part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

First race post time is 12:40 p.m.

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Jockey Sheldon Russell Will Require Surgery For Broken Foot

Sheldon Russell, the top money-winning jockey in Maryland this year, will have surgery to repair an injury to his right foot suffered in a pre-race spill Sept. 9 at Laurel Park.

Russell, 34, got the news Monday after visiting Dr. Jacob Wisbeck, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle injuries, at MedStar Health in Timonium, Md. Russell said a date for surgery won't be determined before a follow-up visit Sept. 20.

“What we found out is it's the main bone in the foot and needs to be addressed. If I opted not to do the surgery and heal it by myself there's chances of dislocation [and other complications],” Russell said. “He's given me another week to get the swelling down.

“I'll sit down with him next Monday at 8 o'clock and we'll X-ray the foot [again]. Hopefully some of the swelling has gone down and we can sort of schedule something,” he added. “Right now that's probably the route I'm taking to do the right thing. I'm going to be off regardless, so why not get it fixed properly.”

This year Russell has $2,497,146 in purse earnings in Maryland, leading 18-year-old runner-up Charlie Marquez by just under $100,000. Russell's 65 wins are second to Marquez's 79.

Russell was hurt after being thrown when Little Bit of That, a 2-year-old Maryland-bred Great Notion filly trained by his wife, Brittany Russell, reared in the post parade of her scheduled first start. She got loose and was scratched from the maiden special weight event, and is entered again to make her debut Thursday under jockey Forest Boyce.

“We'd done some schooling with her in the morning. She'd never shown any signs of doing anything silly. It's just one of those freak accidents,” Sheldon Russell said. “She got out with the pony and she walked a couple of steps and I don't know. She was walking like a professional, like she knew what her job was to do, and all of a sudden something spooked her and she jumped back.

“It wasn't the pony's fault or anything like that,” he added. “She was going like she was going to go over and she's throwing me off. She threw me so high. The right foot landed in the dirt first and it went toes in. When they took me off the track I said to Brittany, 'My foot's broken.'”

Russell said he was diagnosed with a Lisfranc injury, involving both the bones and ligaments in middle part of his foot, due to the way he landed and causing separation between his first two toes. Surgery may include inserting hardware to stabilize the area.

“[Dr. Wisbeck] said it happens a lot to football and baseball players. He was saying catchers get it from when they jump straight up,” Russell said. “He had a lot of jerseys up in his office. I felt good seeing someone like that.”

Russell, whose wife is expecting their second child in seven weeks, was fitted with a boot and told to keep weight off the foot for three months. Among his upcoming mounts were Wondrwherecraigis in the $200,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) and multiple stakes winner Hello Beautiful in the $100,000 Weather Vane, both on Saturday.

“I'm in for a long run,” Russell said. “But, it could have been worse. That's all I can think about. I'm home, I'm safe, and I have my family around me.”

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Joel Rosario Sets Record At Kentucky Downs, Voted Jockey of The Week

The Kentucky Downs meet may be short, just six racing days, but it is long on full fields, thrilling finishes and extraordinary individual accomplishments. Jockey Joel Rosario decided to skip the last two days of the Saratoga meet to ride at Kentucky Downs all six days. That decision lead to a record setting number of wins earning him Jockey of the Week for Sept. 7 through Sept. 12. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 875 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

After accumulating 10 wins the first two days of the meet, the Joel Rosario juggernaut continued in week two. On Wednesday, riding for trainer Shug McGaughey, Rosario won the third race. Thursday, he picked up two more wins, one each for trainers Mike Maker and Wesley Ward. No racing was scheduled for Friday. On Saturday, Rosario went winless for the day, setting himself up for closing day on Sunday with mounts in nine of the 10 races.

Trainers Shug McGaughey and Wayne Catalano were on the Rosario express train winning the second and third race respectively. Trainer Arnaud Delacour then gave a leg up to Rosario aboard Koala Princess in the Ainsworth Stakes for two-year-old fillies at 6-1/2 furlongs. Breaking from post position two in the field of 11, Koala Princess was eighth, five lengths back through the opening quarter. At the top of the stretch, they were a half-length behind the leader Mystic Eyes and continued along the rail to win by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:15.25.

“It looked like she was handling it really nice today,” said Rosario. “She showed a really good turn of foot turning for home.”

Rosario's fourth win of the day came with the Brian Lynch-trained Tobys Heart in the Nelson's Green Brier Whiskey Music City Stakes for three-year-old fillies at 6-1/2 furlongs. Tobys Heart and Rosario started in the middle of the field of 11 with Rosario guiding Tobys Heart inside to save ground. At the top of stretch with an opening along the fence, Rosario asked Tobys Heart who responded by pulling away to post a 2-3/4 length win in 1:14.75 as the favorite.

“It was perfect,” said Rosario. “The horse ran really well there, I was waiting to see if something would open up for her. They just decided to stay off the rail, and she just outran them when she was clear.”

“I have to thank all the people who gave me the opportunity at Kentucky Downs – the trainers, and owners who gave me a chance,” Rosario said. “I really feel blessed.”

Rosario's statistics for the week were 34-7-4-3 for a 41% in-the-money rate. He won his first Kentucky Downs riding title with 17 wins from 53 mounts and just under $3 million in purses.

Rosario's competition for Jockey of the Week included Richard Eramia with a 50% in-the-money statistic, Tyler Gaffalione who won three stakes races at Kentucky Downs, Jaime Rodriguez who won the most races during the week and Diego Saenz with an in-the-money rate of 70%.

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Jockey Declan Cannon To Miss ‘A Few Months’ With Vertebrae Fractures

In an incident at Indiana Grand on Monday first reported by the Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee, jockey Declan Cannon suffered several fractured vertebrae when his mount Zoikes clipped heels in the fifth race. His agent, Tim Hanisch, told bloodhorse.com Tuesday that the veteran rider had movement in all his extremities, but may require surgery.

“That will put him out for the near future, for a few months,” Hanisch told bloodhorse.com.

Zoikes, trained by Brendan Walsh, was reported to be uninjured in the incident, as were the remaining horses and riders in the race, several of whom had to alter course to avoid the fallen rival. Stewards conducted an inquiry but made no changes.

Cannon, a native of Ireland has ridden 300 winners from 2,839 starters in the United States since moving his tack here in late 2015.