Wilgerbosdrift’s G1 winning sire Flower Alley is broodmare sire of progressive North American colt Smooth Like Strait.
The latter, who was produced by the winning Flower Alley mare Smooth As Usual, picked up the biggest win of his career when Smooth Like Strait won Sunday’s G2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita Park.
Shrugging off a fourth-place finish in the Sept. 5 American Turf Stakes Presented by Smithfield (G2T) at Churchill Downs, the Midnight Lute colt sat off fractions of :23.60, :47.84, and 1:11.74 through six furlongs. Jockey Umberto Rispoli was aboard Smooth Like Strait, the 6-5 favorite, and spotted longshot pacesetter Dominant Soul two lengths a half-mile in.
Smooth Like Strait found clear sailing in the homestretch and hit the mile point in 1:35.14. He continued on and crossed the wire 1 1/2 lengths in front, completing the 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:46.89.
The three-year-old Midnight Lute colt has now won five of ten starts, and has three graded triumphs to his name (Smooth Like Strait having also collected the G3 Cecil B. Demille Stakes at two and the G3 La Jolla Handicap earlier this year).
His Travers Stakes winning broodmare sire Flower Alley (also damsire of Japanese star Lucky Lilac) is currently sire of nearly 50 black type horses including Kentucky Derby winning champion I’ll Have Another.
Flower Alley has 13 lots on offer at the upcoming Emperors Palace National 2YO Sale and a single lot on the CTS Ready To Run, Unbroken 2 Year & Mixed Sale.