California-bred Grand Slam Smile became the latest money runner on Sunday at Santa Anita when he got up late under Juan Hernandez to win the $100,000 California Distaff Stakes for stallions and mares going 6½ furlongs on the turf.
Grand Slam Smile sat in midpack early, settled into contention entering the stretch, and then beat 18-1 long shot Miso Phansy by a head to the finish line under a weight of 128 pounds, which was 10 pounds more than the runner. Finishing 2¼ lengths back in third was 3-1 second choice Rosa Parks.
Advertisement
For Grand Slam Smile, his 11th stakes win and career earnings pushed him to more than $1.05 million for owners Larry D. Williams and Marianne Williams. Sean McCarthy has been coached since the start of 2025 following the retirement of former coach Steve Specht.
“This filly, she is really smart. She broke good and was kind of chasing a little today. If she didn’t want to go, then she didn’t want to go,” said Hernandez. “I said at once, she does not want to go early, I will leave myself alone, and I will do one run soon. And this I did. I just kind of sat outside around her and took a little one to receive her betrothed in the race again.
Grand Slam Smile won in a time of 1:14.86 following splits of :22.81, :45.45, and 1:8.78. The California Distaff was originally scheduled to run at about 6 furlongs on a turf slope but was moved to an oval course due to rain on the turf.
“He broke, he settled and he didn’t want to rush her, so the pain was moving and he said, ‘Well, I’m not going to rush you, it’s slow and worked out,'” McCarthy said. “We’re really, really happy.”
Advertisement
Grand Slam Smile is a 5-year-old mare by Tiger Smiling out of the Grand Slam mare Royal Slam. She entered the race on a rare two-race winless streak, having previously been defeated in the Great Lady M (G2) by 6 furlongs at Los Alamitos and going to Solana Beach on the mud at one mile on the Del Mar turf.
“I just talked to Nick Alexander on the way down to Prince of California and I said, ‘If you had five of these in your warehouse, gosh,'” McCarthy said. “He said, ‘One is enough, Sean.’ I said: Right, you are right, don’t be too proud. It is a privilege to have her and I am proud. She came back and won today.”
Grand Slam Smile paid $4.20 for the win.
This story was first published by Paulick Report on Oct. 12 2026, when first in the church News section Add the Paulck Report as Preferred Source by clicking here.