The Swale Stakes – Grade III
 GP Race #6 7f Dirt Graded Stake
Purse $125.000 For Three Year Olds.

1 Recovery Mb Stables Franco M 121 —

The inside draw goes to the Mb trained Recovery who has been putting the works down but has yet to really make his mark at the track. A winner on debut he was put away for 4 months to grow and mature and when we saw him again in August, he looked in need of the run when coming home fourth in an allowance at PID. He disappointed a little in the Bowman Mill but bounced back to winning ways in the Clarendon Stakes when winning gamely by a nose. His season has started this year with a bit of a no show in the Sham but he was only three lengths back that day, so it is too early to write him off. A chance, like so many here, but he doesn’t stand out like many of the stable runners do.

2 High Bluff Axeman Bridgmohan S X 121 —

Another winner of two that contested the Sham Stakes and was also three lengths back but one place better than Recovery. It is hard to read that form and the two should be close again, but he had his chance from this gate last time and one feels he needs to step up a little today. Another with a chance in an open field.

3 King Noah Arindel Alvarado F T 121 —

A three-race winner, placed at grade one level and with a nice third in the Smarty Jones as a pipe opener, this son of Manhunt looks to have the right credentials for this. He made all to beat a small field in the PA Nursery Stakes over this trip prior to his Smarty Jones run so is proven over the seven furlongs which is also a big plus. The works are right, the form and trainer are spot on, he must have a winning chance.

4 Enjolras D J C Racing Stables Elliott S 121 —

A solid type he has two wins in overnight company and a couple of decent runs at stakes level so he too must be considered a chance. I liked his win in a PRX allowance last time but feel he just has a fraction to find if he is going to be part of the top four.

5 Shaman Threshold Pennington F 121 —

Back to dirt after two runs on the turf he made find this trip on the short side but comes here fresh so it may be within his scope. The hope will be that the new engine sorts his starts out and if it does then he is right in this race.

6 Blue Duck Barcelona Farms Wilson E J 121 —

This stable seems to be producing some very nice sorts, and I have a feeling this is another. He took three goes to win his maiden but did it nicely when stepped up to the mile and has since been working sharply enough since to suggest this trip is within his scope. If there is an undiscovered superstar in the field, then this him, it.

7 Dmitrii Arindel Ferrer J C 121 —

He has looked very good at a lower grade but has been disappointing in the two times he was upped in class. He raced from a rotten draw in his last start but still ran a poor race and ran another dud in the SAR Special. Sandwiched between those efforts though was a game win in the Bowman Mill where he had Recovery well beaten in behind. Inconsistency may be the reason you ignore him, but he has the ability if he gets it right.

8 Kimbos Cat Witeout Stables Castellano J J 121 —

Ran well in the SAR Special but then ran three average races although you could say he had excuses in each of them. He ran on well to be fifth on a slushy track in the grade one Hopeful he was then well beaten in the Bowman Mill going to the Remsen in his final start as a juvenile. He got too far back and made ground that day but was well beaten in eighth. He started the year well with a decent third in a GP Allowance so certainly goes into the pile of those with a chance, but it doesn’t look as strong as some on the form figures.

9 Dirty Dirty Sin Arindel Velazquez J R 121 —

Showed plenty of heart to win his last two races by a nose, the second being in the PARX Juvenile over this trip. there is plenty of promise in his form and his works and he gives the stable a strong hand in this race with yet another winning chance.

10 Heavy Impulse Rampage Stable Rosario J 121 —

Another that falls into the chance category he won two from three as a juvenile and ran pretty well on the first day of being a three-year-old when third in the Limehouse. The works are right, the form is good, but the draw leaves a little to be desired and will make it very tough for him to get back to winning ways.

11 Jacks Courage Mb Stables Silvera Ru 121 —

The huge plus for this one is his win in the Pasco Stakes over this trip last time out and a jockey in great form so the draw which seems to be the biggest hurdle may not be as much of a problem especially under this new engine. A really tough and consistent sort he is sure to be right in the finish and whilst he has yet to look a superstar that first season win certainly had plenty of merit.

12 Hurricane Fly Fractious Moran D 121 —

Last but not least is possibly the best horse on paper in the race but if he is going to live up to that billing, he will have to do it from the car park. A very strong third in the grade one Champagne he then won a big-ticket allowance at CD before a creditable run in the LA Futurity from a tough draw. This is the fourth bad draw in a row for him, but the good news is this is his first run on the new engine, and he won’t be as inconvenienced as he has been in his last three.

SUMMARY

As usual there doesn’t look much between most of these but there seems to be a couple of stand outs for me. Hurricane Fly delivered a scorching 1.10 and 1 work in January which is some sort of work for an early three-year-old. He looks outstanding on that, but the wide draw will certainly give a few other chances. Those chances include Jacks Courage and the Arindel runners, but I keep coming back to Blue Duck as a potential superstar and he may be the one for a solid each way bet.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES