The My Frenchman Stakes ($100.000 Purse)
MTH- For Three Year Olds
Five and a Half Furlongs on the Turf
July 13, 2025

Smokin Commander is a maiden no more! The gelding was entered into the My Frenchman Stakes despite going winless in his first four starts. He had shown potential, and Red Fox Farms was not going to wait around any longer for him to break his maiden in a conventional manner. Instead, Smokin Commander would win here, and would complete a 1-2 finish for Red Fox Farms in the race. It’s the first win in the race for the trainer, and also for jockey A Concepcion. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:02.71, a middle of the road such time for the race. Let’s take a look at it:

(1/4 Mile- :22.39)- Asgar’s The Magic Dime will be the leader into the backstretch, about a full length ahead of the Red Fox Farms- trained Smokin Access. The leader’s stablemate, Razor Ruddock is a length behind him, then we have a gap of about two lengths to the rest of the field. Another Asgar horse, Clear As Fog has the upper hand here while between horses, and to his outside is the eventual winner from Red Fox Farms, Smokin Commander. Ill Be Around is nearby for Alydar Stables.

(½ Mile- :45.31, Top of Stretch 1.5F To Go)- The field moves around the turn and enters the backstretch with The Magic Dime still in the lead, and he has Smokin Access getting closer on his inside. Razor Raddock had not made a push and finds himself about to be best by the others in the field. Smokin Commander, who has a clear lane on the outside, and Clear As Fog looks to be the first to go by him as Ill Be Around still trails.

(Finish- 1:02.71)- As we approach the wire, the field tightens up, and a close finish is clearly in order. From the outside, in the dying moments of the race, Smokin Commander certainly did not look like a horse that had never won before, as she showed a lot of heart. Looking great as he approaches to wire, Smokin Commander is about to get up to win by half a length. In a very close photo for place, Smokin Access and Clear As Fog are in a dead heat, .01 ahead of Ill Be Around, who was .01 ahead of The Magic Dime. Razor Raddock is last, but only half a length behind them.

About The Winner- Smokin Commander, trained by Red Fox Farms and ridden to victory A Concepcion, is a three-year-old gelding by Smokin Lemon and is out of Nautical Day. He was bred by Red Fox Farms in California as a third quarter two-year-old, the only trainer for which he has ever known. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his first in five starts, with career earnings now of $88.580.

Track: Firm
Time: :22¹  :45¹  :56⁴  1:02³

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 5 – 2 Paid 7.60, 5 – 3 Paid 11.50
$1 Trifecta: 5 – 2 – 3 Paid 71.60, 5 – 3 – 2 Paid 25.50

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded