Morning line favorite Power Of The Smile will be looking for his first career stakes win in the 870-yard $25,000 Virgil Bond Stakes at Delta Downs on Saturday night.

© Hodges Photography

By StallioneSearch

VINTON, LA—JUNE 3, 202 —A competitive field of five will line up for the 870-yard $25,000 Virgil Bond Stakes at Delta Downs on Saturday night, with Power Of The Smile and Blue Castle drawing top billing based on the morning line odds.

Installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite, Power Of The Smile enters the $25,000 stakes with a strong record going around the hook. The 4-year-old gelding by Power Jam (TB) out of Beyond the Smiles by Mr Jess Perry has been in the money in seven of eight tries at the distance.

Bred in Louisiana by his owners, Jumonville Farms, Power Of The Smile has earned $66,645 from 14 starts, including four wins and a sharp second-place finish in his most recent outing on May 23. In that race, he nearly ran down the classy Explosive Legend, finishing a neck short with a 88 speed index.

Trained by Kenneth Weeks and ridden by Ubaldo Luna, Power Of The Smile was repurchased for $18,000 at the LQHBA Yearling Sale. The gray gelding has been a consistent performer across Delta Downs and Evangeline Downs and was recently reported as gelded in May.

Iveseenwhatyoucando, the 5-2 second choice on the morning line for Saturday’s Virgil Bond, brings a sharp recent win and a consistent record into the 870-yard event.

A 4-year-old sorrel mare bred in Louisiana by Daniel R. Trahan, she is by Open Me A Corona out of Blues Cartel by Jess Louisiana Blue. Owned by Lucky Aces Racing and trained by veteran Kenneth L. Roberts Sr., she will be ridden by David Alvarez.

Iveseenwhatyoucando has won 4 of 13 career starts and earned $61,285. She kicked off her 2025 season in strong form with a wire-to-wire win in a 300-yard allowance at Louisiana Downs. Though she struggled in her most recent outing in the Bill Montgomery Stakes, finishing tenth, she will try a route distance this time.

Purchased for $18,000 at the Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale, she’s already proven to be a value buy and will look to add a stakes title to her résumé Saturday night.

The field for the Virgil Bond Stakes, in post position order, includes:

1. Mr Secret Lee (9-2)
2. Blue Castle (7-2)
3. Power Of The Smile (6-5)
4. Iveseenwhatyoucando (5-2)
5. Imperial Train (10-1).

The Virgil Bond Stakes is restricted to Louisiana-breds, offering a purse distribution that pays $15,000 to the winner. A trophy will be presented to the winning owner.

All Delta Downs races can be seen on Q-Racing Video.

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