(April 24, 2009) - Smooth Air, who had been made the morning line favorite at 6-5 for Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Texas Mile at Lone Star Park, will be scratched from the race due to colic.

While in his barn on Thursday night at Lone Star Park, a track security officer assigned to guard the 4-year-old colt noticed that the horse seemed to be in distress.

Trainer Bennie Stutz and a veterinarian were immediately called to the barn and took Smooth Air to the Lone Star Park’s on-site Equine Hospital, where he was treated throughout the night.

“He has a little bit of a history of this (colic) and it was a long, rough night,” said Trainer Bennie Stutz on Friday afternoon. “But he’s much better today and he’s feeling good. We’re going to try to take him back to his stall in the barn this afternoon (Friday) between 4:30 and 5 p.m.

“It looks like he feels good enough to go back into training and we might try to take him to the track on Saturday and Sunday,” added Stutz.

Smooth Air is scheduled to fly back to Florida and Calder Race Course on Tuesday, April 28.