Cannons' Smooth Like Strait a Standout From the Start
MarketWatch Interview: Michael Cannon
Author: Christine Oser
Smooth Like Strait, a homebred for Michael and Jennifer Cannon's Cannon Thoroughbreds, collected his third graded stakes victory with a 1 1/2-length score in the Twilight Derby (G2T) Oct. 18 at Santa Anita Park. The 3-year-old colt trained by Michael McCarthy rewarded the Cannons with their first stakes victory last year when he won the Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3T) at Del Mar and has remained a consistent runner since.
BloodHorse MarketWatch spoke to Michael Cannon about Cannon Thoroughbreds' journey with Smooth Like Strait, the colt's family that the Cannons have, and what he enjoys about horse racing.
MarketWatch: When and how did you first get involved with horse racing?
Michael Cannon: I've been involved in horse racing since 1992. When I graduated college in Boston, I started syndicating horses under a name called Sport of Kings Syndications. I did that for about three years, just buying horses and syndicating them and managing their racing careers. Then I got a real job, went on and developed my own company and business. About 10 years ago I decided to get back into the business, and I bought some mares. I bought the grandmother of Smooth Like Strait (Beautiful Lil), and she was in foal to the mother of Smooth Like Strait (Smooth as Usual). She went on and did pretty well. I sold her, and after her racing career she was put into the Keeneland November sale, and I bought her back. Then I started my own little broodmare band, and I keep them down in Kentucky at Columbiana Farm.
MW: What's the journey been like with Smooth Like Strait?
MC: It's been great. He's really easy. As Mike McCarthy says, he's a real professional. He just does everything so easy. He has no attitude, no bad habits, just does what you ask. It's been really nice. We really never expected him to do this well, so we really feel very blessed.
MW: About how many horses do you have between broodmares and racehorses and young ones?
MC: Too many! Right now, I have five broodmares; I'm going to breed five mares this year. Two of them are half siblings to Smooth Like Strait, and I'm going to breed them to Midnight Lute , who's the sire of Smooth Like Strait (bloodstock consultant Kathy Berkey picked the breeding of Smooth as Usual to Midnight Lute). Then on racehorses, probably 12-15 spread out. That's between yearlings and things that are in training right now.
MW: What was Smooth Like Strait like as a younger horse growing up?
MC: They always said he was nice. The minute he was born, Homer Rader at Columbiana said, "You know what? You got a good one. This one's going to be a good one." And that's literally within 24 hours of him being born. I sent him away to be trained at Bill Wofford (and Beth Wofford's Rimroc Farm) in Kentucky. He breaks them and gets them prepped for training, and then he called me up and said, "Smooth Like Strait, this horse is going to win you a graded stakes race." I'd never heard that before. He called it, and it's been a real blessing.
Photo: Benoit PhotoSmooth Like Strait wins the Twilight Derby at Santa Anita Park
MW: Do you have any immediate future plans for him?
MC: We discussed the Breeders' Cup but it's only three weeks away and it's not what's best for the horse, so we decided to forgo the Breeders' Cup and we're going to aim for a $300,000 stakes race Thanksgiving weekend at Del Mar (the Hollywood Derby, G1T). He really seems to do better when he has five to six weeks in between races, so we're just going to stick with that. Next year we'll worry about the Breeders' Cup if we're fortunate enough to be in this position again.
MW: It's been a weird year for everyone with the pandemic and all the protocols in place. Have you been able to get out to the races much this year?
MC: I have not. I have a house in Del Mar, and I didn't even make it over to the racetrack. When he won the La Jolla (G3T), I just sat and watched it in my living room. I haven't seen him since February since the pandemic. I'm not allowed back at the barns.
MW: From the mare Smooth as Usual, it looks like you have a Temple City yearling filly and then a full brother to Smooth Like Strait.
MC: The full brother I'm actually probably going to put in a yearling sale next year and see how that works. The filly just got done training at Bill Wofford's; she was broke and trained the last two months. … We're going to send her to Florida to get trained. We use Todd Pletcher's father (J.J. Pletcher) down in Ocala.
MW: Do you primarily breed to race?
MC: I breed to race, but I'm kind of tempted to see what his full brother would bring if he continues on this trajectory of winning multiple graded stakes. Maybe he'll have over $500,000, $600,000, maybe over a million by that time, God willing. (The full brother) might be worth something that would be hard to turn down. But I breed to race. I'm a racer.
In this business, whenever you get a chance to make money, you got to take it. You got to run it like a business, and I try to do that. So I'll put him in the sale, and if I can make some money off of him, I'll do it. If not, I'll bring him into racing.
MW: You mentioned you were involved in the syndicate, stepped out of the game, and then came back. What is it about Thoroughbred racing that keeps you involved or made you want to come back?
MC: It's a great industry. I love horses. I live on a cattle ranch here in Nevada, and I've got lots of horses. I've always loved horses. I love watching horses race. I love the people; the people in the business and the industry are really nice. It's exciting, it's a challenge. One of the biggest challenges you can have is being successful in this business. I like challenges. Even though I've not done really well, I've always persevered to try to make it in this business. I wanted to come back. Like I said, I have a house in Del Mar, so I spend a lot of time at the track in Del Mar. The last 30 years of my life, this business has been very special to me.
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