Smokey Image wins Golden State Juvenile Stakes at Del Mar

DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) Smokey Image overcame traffic trouble Friday to win the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile Stakes by three-quarters of a length and improve to

DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) Smokey Image overcame traffic trouble Friday to win the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile Stakes by three-quarters of a length and improve to 5-0 at Del Mar.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Smokey Image ran seven furlongs in 1:22.94 and paid $3, $2.20 and $2.10 at 1-2 odds.

Found Money returned $3.80 and $2.80, while Family Code was another 1 1/2 lengths back in third and paid $2.80 to show.

Smokey Image was shuffled back to seventh on the far turn before rallying along the rail entering the stretch. He caught Found Money with less than a sixteenth of a mile to go and went on to victory.

''When we came away from the gate, he stumbled a little bit and that actually made it easier,'' Hernandez said. ''We were back in the pack. He was pulling hard. Then as we headed into the far turn, I was surrounded. I had three horses in front of me and two outside. For a bit there I was really nervous, I didn't know if I'd get out. But then we got some room and he went.''

The victory, worth $110,000, increased Smokey Image's career earnings to $297,600.

Rafael Bejarano rode four winners on the card.