Smile Sprint Handicap

The Smile Sprint Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race once held annually since 1999 at Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens, Florida but now run at Gulfstream Park after negotiations between the two tracks.^[1] The Grade II sprint is open to horses, age three and up, willing to race six furlongs on the dirt.

Part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series, the winner of the 2009 Smile Sprint Handicap automatically qualifies for the Breeders' Cup Sprint.^[2]

Since inception, the race has been contested at various distances:

• 6 F : 1984, 1997–present
• 6.5 F : 1989, 1992
• 7 F : 1985-1988, 1990–1991, 1993–1996

The race was inaugurated in 1984 as the Miami Beach Handicap and was run under that name until 1993 when it was relabeled as the Miami Beach Sprint Handicap. In 1999 it was given its current name to honor Frances A. Genter Stable's Florida-bred colt, Smile. As a two-year-old in 1984, Smile became the first horse to win all three races in the Florida Stallion Stakes series at Calder Race Course. He went on to win the 1986 Breeders' Cup Sprint and was voted that year's American Champion Sprint Horse.

Records

Speed record: (at current distance of 6 furlongs)

• 1:08.85 - Favorite Tale (2015)

Most wins:

• No horse has won this race more than once.

Most wins by a jockey:

• 2 - Ricardo Lopez (1992, 1993)
• 2 - Wigberto Ramos (1994, 1998)
• 2 - Mike Smith (2002, 2005)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 3 - David Fawkes (2000, 2010, 2013)

Most wins by an owner:

• No owner has won this race more than once.

Winners of the Smile Sprint Handicap since 1984

Notes

References

• The 2008 Smile Sprint Handicap at the NTRA