Smooth Air, foaled and raised at CloverLeaf Farms II, scores stakes win

1/11/2008

By JoAnn Guidry

In the Thoroughbred business, a new year quickly brings thoughts of the road to the Kentucky Derby (G1). Florida-bred Smooth Air may well have begun that journey with his victory in the Hutcheson Stakes (G2) on January 5 at Gulfstream Park.

The win in the Triple Crown prep race was also the first stakes tally for the 3-year-old colt by Smooth Jazz out of the French Deputy mare Air France. A homebred runner for Mount Joy Stables Inc., Smooth Air came into the race with two wins and two stakes-placed efforts. He emerged as a graded stakes winner, besting Silver Edition by a length in 1:23.21 for the seven furlongs over a sloppy track.

Trained by Bennie F. Stutts Jr., the Calder-based Smooth Air broke his maiden by three lengths at first asking on July 21. He followed that with a third to Big City Man in the Dr. Fager Stakes of the Florida Stallion Stakes series on August 11. In the Jack Price Juvenile Stakes on November 10, he was second to He’s Eze. Smooth Air closed out the 2007 season with an allowance win on November 26. On three wins, one second and one third in five career starts, Smooth Air has a career bankroll of $165,500.

Smooth Air was foaled at CloverLeaf Farms II, where his sire Smooth Jazz previously stood. With the closing of CloverLeaf Farms in June, 2007, Smooth Jazz was relocated to Buckridge Farm in Kinderhook, New York.

Brent Fernung, who was manager at Cloverleaf before the farm’s closing in June of 2007 said, “I’m very happy for the Burn’s family. Besides foaling Smooth Air, we also stood his sire, Smooth Jazz., Our last year at Cloverleaf sure was a productive one. Besides Smooth Air, we also raised recent stake winner Prince Cortez as well as raising and breaking 2007 stake winners Check It Twice, Bsharpsonata, and Graded winner Bushwacker.”

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