Multiple Grade 2 winner Smooth Air makes his race debut for trainer Chad Brown, a Mechanicville native, in Saturday's Grade 3 $250,000 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park.

Smooth Air is coming off a strong second in the Grade 1 Met Mile at Belmont Park on May 25. The Salvator winner earns an automatic berth in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita Park in November.

(Funny thing about the "Dirt Mile." It has yet to be run on dirt at a mile. In its 2007 debut, it was run at a mile and 70 yards due to the configuration of Monmouth's main track. Last year and this, it will be run on the SA's artificial Pro-Ride surface).

After the Met Mile, Smooth Air was transferred from Florida-based trainer Bennie Stutts Jr. to Brown to take advantage of more lucrative purses in the East. Winner of the Hutcheson and Ohio Derby in 2008, Smooth Air captured the Gulfstream Park Handicap in March, and went over $1 million in career earnings in the Met Mile.

Smooth Air will break from post two in the field of eight as the co-topweight at 121 pounds. He is the program favorite at 5-2.

Also entered are Runforthedoe, Solar Flare, Kiss the Kid, Coal Play, Two Step Salsa, Keep Laughing and The Roundhouse.