The Swale Stakes
$150.000 For Three Year Olds
7 Furlongs – Dirt
Gulfstream Park – January 31, 2026

The first Saturday in May might seem far off but it really isn’t if you take a moment and realize that today marks 25% of the Derby qualifying time being over. Every three-year-old stakes race reeks of import if you have any kind of dream of making it to the gate for the big one whether it is Derby points or earnings per race to get into races with those valued points. With that in mind, Illusionary Artist helped his cause on Saturday on a good Gulfstream track with a Swale win that added $90.000 to his bank account.

Winner: Illusionary Artist (Nakamura Stables/V. Espinoza) Con West/Cunningham (No Doubt About It) Grabbed the bit from the bell and was determined to go to the lead but so were some others. He joined early by several including Ginger Chub, Mighty Maple and Grievous but the Nakamura homebred was having none of it as he made his way to a clear lead after three furlongs. He surged into the far turn and opened up a lead going into the stretch and despite Cumberland Blue getting to him late he never seemed in danger of getting caught. 

Second: Cumberland Blue (Jerry Garcia Racing/L. Salles) Excoriator/Greek Princess (Blow Me Away) Broke with the leading group but took back early to stalk behind the pace duel group. Began to make his presence felt as he surged through tiring leaders with a quarter of a mile to go. Illusionary Artist was still moving strongly through most of the stretch, but Cumberland Blue was making his best progress in the last sixteenth although never seriously challenged for the win. Promising stakes debut and you have to think longer distances are in his future. 

Third: Storm Sequence (Team 7 Illusions/S.X. Bridgmohan) Dream Sequence/Stormy Bay (Acapulco Bay) Broke a half step behind most and was settled near the back for the first quarter mile. Began to come through the field and put himself in sixth a couple of lengths behind Cumberland Blue as the field moved down the backstretch. Swing wide for the stretch run and closed steadily just nipping American Mischief, who took the inside route, for third.

Fourth: American Mischief (Mb Stables/J.L. Ortiz) Yankee/Pippin (Manhunt) Was placed at the back of the field for most of the first half mile. He tracked behind Storm Sequence on the backstretch and began to move on the turn. Found a seam at the top of the stretch and was able to split horses and come up the inside to close for fourth. Remains a maiden but makes a good stakes debut that suggests he should not be a maiden for very much longer. 

The Swale Stakes is the first stakes win for Illusionary Artist, and it is the first Swale win for Nakamura Stables and jockey V. Espinoza. Illusionary Artist is also now the second stakes winner for sophomore stallion Con West. Con West currently stands at twenty-eighth with a bullet in the second-year stallion standings having gained his first stakes winner just two weeks ago when Western Espresso took the Silverbulletday Stakes. 

Preview Pick: Storm Sequence finished a closing third. 

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded