Get Smokin Aims for Redemption in Valedictory Stakes

Seven-year-old gelding Get Smokin, trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, will attempt to bounce back from recent disappointment in the CA$135,000 Valedictory Stakes (G3) on December 7 at Woodbine. The 1 1/2-mile contest on Tapeta marks an opportunity for the multiple graded stakes winner to regain form after finishing last in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1T) at Aqueduct in September. 

Get Smokin, owned by Ironhorse Racing Stable and partners, has amassed over $2 million in career earnings. Sihan Civaci takes the reins on the 3-1 morning-line favourite, who has raced only once on synthetic surfaces, finishing fourth in the Eclipse Stakes (G2) earlier this year. 

Stanley House, trained by Mike De Paulo, enters the race as a 5-1 contender. Despite consistent efforts, including a recent third-place finish in the Autumn Stakes (G2), he has yet to secure a stakes victory. De Paulo praised the gelding’s determination, hoping his luck would turn this time. 

Rachel Halden trains two contenders, including 15-1 outsider Collective Force, who comes off an impressive five-length win in an allowance race. Halden also starts Roscar, the Breeders' Stakes winner, who aims to recapture his best form after a mixed season. 

Other notable entries include Stone Age, a graded stakes-placed son of Galileo, and Loose Wire, trained by Kevin Attard. The latter, a $925,000 yearling purchase, enters off a recent win and adds intrigue to a competitive field.