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ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) Smoove It rallied four-wide turning for home and went on to win the $100,000 Irish O'Brien Stakes by 3 1/4 lengths after surviving a stewards' inquiry over an incident at the top of the stretch Saturday at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Flavien Prat, Smoove It ran 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course in 1:12.83 and paid $14.40, $4 and $2.40 for her first stakes win.
Velvet Mesquite returned $2.40 and $2.10 as the 2-5 favorite. Qiaona rallied from last to finish a half-length back in third and paid $2.10 to show.
Trained by Doug O'Neill, Smoove It earned her fifth win in 23 career starts. The victory, worth $60,000, increased her earnings to $338,575.
Prat was substituting for Smoove It's regular rider Mario Gutierrez.
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