Mike Smith guides American Anthem to win in Laz Barrera Stakes

No, the jockey standings for the Santa Anita spring meet had not been flipped upside-down.

Yes, that was Hall of Famer Mike Smith, a longtime fixture at the track, near the bottom of the list entering Saturday’s card with nary a win in seven mounts.

The statistical quirk was short-lived. Smith hopped off American Anthem after the Laz Barrera Stakes and took his customary post-race route to the winner’s circle.

As an accommodation to age, Smith, 51, has pared his workload so much that he could be considered a part-timer. The Barrera marked only his 91st start this year.

Yet he is approaching $11 million in earnings already, some $2.4 million shy of last year’s total that required 335 rides.

“It certainly keeps me fresh,” Smith said of the light pace. “I don’t get too tired.”

Though Smith is logging fewer miles at ground level, he is an aerial travel fiend. Victories have been scored this year at Gulfstream, Churchill Downs, Oaklawn and Lone Star. If there is a prestigious event with a generous purse anywhere, Smith probably is there, plane ticket in hand.

His elite rivals also focus on high-profile races, but they tend to seek multiple mounts on the undercards to justify the trip to the track. Not Smith, who doesn’t mind being one-and-done for the day.

Given the success rate, “You don’t need to ride a whole lot of them at this point of my career,” he said.

Not every excursion is textbook smooth. After American Anthem surged ahead early in the stretch, the jockey heard the track announcer say, “And someone is flying to catch him on the outside!”

“It made me panic,” said Smith, who acknowledged needlessly requiring American Anthem to overexert himself.

That someone was Kimbear, who pounced from the rear of the five-horse field. The winner, whose previous two outings were clunkers (10th in the Rebel Stakes, 12th in the Santa Anita Derby), held Kimbear at bay by 1 3/4 lengths. The favorite, American Anthem paid $3.60 to win.

The race’s namesake is a Hall of Fame trainer, deceased since 1991, whose decorated career included this oddity: The champion of the inaugural Laz Barrera Stakes 36 years ago was saddled by . . . Laz Barrera.

The even more acclaimed Bob Baffert was credited with Saturday’s win, though he was away at a social engagement and handed off duties to assistant Jimmy Barnes.

“I just take care of the horse and make sure he’s healthy for each race,” said Barnes, whose willingness to deflect kudos has kept him in good stead with Baffert throughout their 18-year working relationship.

Smith, breaking form, stuck around for the afternoon’s non-stakes finale to climb aboard Blame It On Alphie, a modest 12-1 on the morning-line odds.

As usual, Smith got the most out of his mount, leading until deep stretch and finishing fourth, which keeps the peerless veteran near the rear of the jockey standings at his base track.