June 12, 2005
Woke Up Dreamin and Mike Smith set a hot pace and held on to win the Grade 2 $213,700 True North Breeders' Cup on the undercard of Belmont Stakes Day. Woke Up Dreamin and Smokume went to the lead from the gate in the 10-horse, 6-furlong handicap for older horses, setting blistering fractions of :21 4/5, :44 2/5 and :56. Woke Up Dreamin maintained his lead throughout the stretch and won by two lengths in 1:08 1/5 over a fast track. Voodoo closed from just off the pace for second under Javier Castellano. Mass Media and Jose Santos closed from the back of the pace to finish third. Smokume, the 2.6-1 race favorite under Chantal Sutherland, faded to fourth.
"He ran really, really well," Smith said. "(Trainer) Bob (Baffert) said that getting out of the gate had been a problem for him. He's a big, heavy-set colt, but I got him out and he settled and went really well."
Southern California-based trainer Bob Baffert was not present to watch the victory. "Bob sent him in here doing wonderfully, and everything went right for him today," said John Terranova, who often oversees horses for Baffert in New York. "Mike (Smith) got him out of the gate good, which has been a problem, and it kept him going in the right direction. I'm glad the heat and nothing else bothered him today."
This is the first True North victory for Baffert and for Hall of Fame jockey Smith, who won seven Belmont Park riding titles in his career.
Manhattan Handicap
Brooklyn Handicap
Riva Ridge BC Stakes
Just a Game BC Stakes
True North BC Stakes
