Bring the Smoke heats up in G3 Maryland Sprint
Jumps up in fourth career start
Press Release
May 16, 2026
Awestrike Racing, Berry Family Racing, Legion Racing, GLAM Racing and Clarke Ohrstrom’s Bring the Smoke came with a steady run down the center of the track and got up in the final jump to win Saturday’s $150,000 Maryland Sprint (G3) presented by Visit Baltimore at Laurel Park.
The 39th running of the six-furlong Sprint for 3-year-olds and up was the fourth of nine stakes, four graded, worth $3.15 million in purses on a spectacular 14-race program headlined by the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.
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Bring the Smoke ($16.50) was ridden by Tyler Gaffalione for trainer Whit Beckman, who will team together in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness with the maiden Ocelli, most recently third at 70-1 in the Kentucky Derby (G1). The winning time was 1:10.73 over a fast main track.
“All credit goes to Whit and his team. They brought him over here ready,” said Gaffalione. “He fired big for us, and I think taking off the blinkers really helped him relax today. The last time he broke a step slow and he just kind of got a little ahead of himself that day. He wanted to do a little too much early, but today, completely different. He relaxed beautifully behind those horses, and when we found room, he really responded well.”
Faster Gator and Faust, both riding two-race win streaks, dueled through a sizzling quarter of a mile in 22.08 seconds with Haileysfirstnotion keeping tabs in the clear three wide in third and Bring the Smoke saving ground inside in fourth. Haileysfirstnotion took over the top spot after a half in 45.09 but Bring the Smoke was just gathering momentum on the far outside under Gaffalione, who set the 4-year-old gelding down for a drive.
With Faust on the inside and Haileysfirstnotion between horses, Bring the Smoke emerged from a three-way photo a neck in front for his second win in his stakes debut. Faust held second by another neck over Haileysfirstnotion, with 5-2 favorite Celtic Contender, S S Sinatra, Slam Notion and Faster Gator completing the order of finish. Floodlites and Hymn were scratched.
Bring the Smoke made his first two starts at Laurel for owner-trainer Lacey Gaudet, running third in a Dec. 26 maiden special weight before graduating in a similar spot over a muddy track Feb. 21. Purchased privately following the win, Bring the Smoke entered the Maryland Sprint having run second in a six-furlong allowance April 12 at Keeneland.
“We wanted him to settle back behind the speed and not be part of the speed,” said winning trainer Whit Beckman. “It worked. It was perfect.”
One race prior, in the Chick Lang Stakes for three-year-olds going six furlongs, Obliteration lived up to his name with a decisive 3 1/2-length victory in a sharp 1:09.77. Now 4-for-9 in his career, Obliteration is trained by Steve Asmussen and was ridden by Jose Ortiz.
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