Brad Kelley's Calumet Farm has developed an upset reputation in graded stakes, notably taking the Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) at Keeneland last spring with the Brendan Walsh-trained Gin Gin at 38-1 odds. Later, Gin Gin added Keeneland's Spinster Stakes (G1) as an encore in the fall, upsetting champions Nitrogen and Thorpedo Anna.
But there's no chance that Calumet Farm's She Be Smooth will go unnoticed by the public in the $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) on Florida Derby Day, March 28. Having won her only two starts, including the Davona Dale Stakes (G2) by 6 lengths last month at Gulfstream Park for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, She Be Smooth is favored to win the 1 1/16-mile stakes race, an important prep for the May 1 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Under dual Eclipse Award-winning rider Flavien Prat, the homebred daughter of Lexitonian is the 7-5 morning-line choice in a seven-horse field, ahead of 9-5 Prom Queen, who she defeated when they both debuted Jan. 23 at Gulfstream. Just Singing, twice graded placed and adding blinkers, and My Miss Mo, the Davona Dale runner-up, are other contenders at 9-2 and 5-1 odds, respectively.
The Gulfstream Park Oaks offers 200 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Oaks, distributed on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis to its top five finishers. Churchill Downs officials use qualifying points as a preference system when the Oaks lures more than its 14-horse capacity field size. She Be Smooth is already well-positioned to qualify, having picked up 50 points in the Davona Dale.
She Be Smooth, not yet tested beyond a mile or around two turns, has a running style that suggests she should handle the conditions.
Her dam, Seattle Smooth, was a multiple stakes winner over a variety of distances, including the 1 1/16-mile Ogden Phipps Handicap (G1) in 2009, which was run around one turn at Belmont Park. She also took the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion Stakes (G2) around two turns a year earlier at Philadelphia Park, now Parx Racing.
She Be Smooth's sire, Lexitonian, was a high-class sprinter/miler for Calumet and now stands at Calumet's Kentucky farm for $7,500.
Prom Queen, homebred for Gary and Mary West, has 1 1/16-mile distance experience, having scored by 8 lengths in a Feb. 12 maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park after finishing second, 2 1/4 lengths behind She Be Smooth, when they were unveiled in a mile maiden race weeks earlier.
Brad Cox, who trains the daughter of Quality Road , has named Hall of Famer Javier Castellano to return in the saddle.
Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 28, 2026, Race 9Entries: Gulfstream Park Oaks presented by City National Bank (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 Betty's Pearl (KY) Mario Gutierrez 122 Brian A. Lynch - 2 My Miss Mo (FL) Tyler Gaffalione 122 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. - 3 Nasti Z (FL) Micah J. Husbands 122 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. - 4 Just Singing (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 J. Kent Sweezey - 5 Prom Queen (KY) Javier Castellano 122 Brad H. Cox - 6 She Be Smooth (KY) Flavien Prat 122 Todd A. Pletcher - 7 Haute Diva (KY) Joel Rosario 122 Patrick L. Biancone -
