Pedigree

Smooth Air will need to outrun his pedigree because he isn't bred for 1 1/4 miles. The Florida-bred colt is a very honest performer, finishing in the money in all seven career starts, and the Florida Derby (G1) runner-up has run well twice at a route. However, Smooth Air is from the first crop of Grade 2 winner Smooth Jazz, whose two career stakes wins both came sprinting and figures to be a speed influence at stud. Smooth Jazz is by sprinter Storm Boot, whose progeny have compiled an Average Winning Distance of only 6.3 furlongs.

Smooth Air is the second foal out of the winning French Deputy mare Air France, who raced exclusively at six furlongs during her 11-race career. Her first foal, Super Phoebe, won nine times, all at distances less than a mile. Smooth Air's second dam, the smart sprinter Twin Propeller (Known Fact), captured the six-furlong Thelma S. at Fair Grounds. All three of her foals to race won exclusively at sprint distances as well.

Broodmare sire French Deputy, a Grade 2-winning miler, isn't as one-dimensional. A lightly raced son of Deputy Minister, French Deputy's offspring have been successful at a range of distances, compiling an Average Winning Distance of 7.1 furlongs. French Deputy's leading performers, the Japanese champion Kurofune and American Eclipse Award winner Left Bank, were versatile. Kurofune captured major events from one mile to 1 5/16 miles, while the ill-fated Left Bank showed dazzling speed from seven furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. French Deputy is beginning to make his mark as a broodmare sire, with his daughters producing Grade 2 sprint star Songster (Songandaprayer) and this year's Gotham S. (G3) winner Visionaire (Grand Slam), along with fellow Grade 2 heroes Notional (In Excess [Ire]) and Delightful Kiss (Kissin Kris).

Smooth Air has shown the ability to stretch out to two turns effectively, but 10 furlongs might prove outside his reach given his breeding.