August 30 racing highlights: Sweet on Smokey upset in starter

YESTERDAY’S NEWS: Sweet on Smokey defeated in starter allowance

Sweet On Smokey had made eight consecutive starts, prior to yesterday, in stakes company, winning three of those added money events.

Those credentials were enough for bettors to make the four-year-old Claudio Gonzalez trainee the 1-2 favorite in a $16,000 starter allowance yesterday at Delaware Park.

But bettors didn’t count on the sort of effort Hazel Eyed Girl and jockey Trevor McCarthy turned in yesterday.  The four-year-old daughter of Wildcat Heir, trained by Jamie Ness for Jagger Inc., grabbed the lead at the head of the lane and went on to win by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:10.58 for six furlongs.  Sweet On Smokey was second, nearly four clear of Pure Lemon in third.

Hazel Eyed Girl paid $7.60 to win as the second choice and topped a $14.40 exacta.

It was the second consecutive victory for Hazel Eyed Girl, who now has four wins from nine career starts with earnings of $86,300.  She was bred in Florida by Red Oak Stable, from whom her current connections claimed her, for $15,000, out of her last race…

The third time was the charm for Smokinwatchstopper, a two-year-old General Quarters colt who broke his maiden yesterday at Delaware Park, winning a 7 1/2 furlong turf test under Ricardo Chiappe by five lengths in 1:31.26.  Mr. Grey, the 2-5 favorite, finished second.

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BY THE NUMBERS: HANDLE

• Delaware Park: $1,513,178