Tom Durkin made the call: “Smart Enuf has given them the slip!” E Dubai's blaze-faced sophomore accelerated into the Belmont’s inner turf course lane and dominated his eight opponents; winning the nine-furlong, $47,000 Maiden Special Weight test by nearly two lengths.
Sent off as favorite, Michael and Patricia Palenscar’s New York homebred set a course along the hedge shortly after the break, pacing Turnupthevolume, the lone four-year-old in the race. Smart Enuf raced well into the bit carrying his head low, though rating kindly for jockey John Velasquez through sensible fractions before quickening to run away with the victory over Volponi Dragon and Street Cry's Ranger James in third. The win was clocked over firm turf in 1:50.58.
Off to a rollicking start, Smart Enuf is one to keep an eye on. He has tallied $49,220 from a win, a second and two thirds in five starts. Of E Dubai’s 83 winners to date, eighteen per cent have already achieved black-type status; seven are Stakes winners including three at graded levels: High Heels, Buy the Barrel and Desert Code.
Smart Enuf is one of seven winning foals for Smartullah, a daughter of quadruple derby winner Smarten. The exploits of Smarten, as well as his half-brother Quadratic, compelled 1979 voters to name Smartaire to Broodmare of the Year honors. Ryehill Farms’ high flier, Smarten won or placed in 15 Stakes at three, 13 were graded.
One rather fascinating strand in Smart Enuf’s genetic make-up is his coat, which solely favors his dam’s broodmare sire The Minstrel – the 1977 Horse of the Year in Europe. Since 1866, The Minstrel is one of only 15 horses to pull off an Epsom/Irish Derby double. The phenomelanin pigment giving them their copper color is indeed recessive. Within this family, it has skipped a few generations; showing itself previously in The Minstrel’s third dam Flaring Top. She is also the granddam of English Triple Crown winner Nijinsky II. Flaring Top inherited her spectacular color from either champion two and three year-old Alcibiades, Triple Crown winner Omaha, or ‘Big Red’ himself Man O’ War.
