Grey Swallow Works Mile for Murray Handicap

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(from Hollywood Park notes)
Grey Swallow, winner of the 2004 Irish Derby (Ire-I), worked one mile on the Hollywood Park turf course Sunday in 1:39 1/5 in preparation for the $250,000 Jim Murray Memorial Handicap (gr. IIT) on Saturday.

"He moved well on the grass and handled the bend perfectly," said exercise rider Robert Dolan after the drill in company with Danclare, a filly from the Paddy Gallagher stable. "He needed it badly. He was a bit stuffy from being in quarantine."

Irish-based Grey Swallow, a 5-year-old horse trained by Dermot Weld, cleared quarantine at Hollywood Wednesday after being flown from Amsterdam to Los Angeles on Monday. He will become the first Irish Derby winner to race at Hollywood Park in the 1 ½-mile Jim Murray.

Dolan, an assistant to Weld, said Grey Swallow would probably work once more on the turf this week.

The jockey assignment is pending since regular rider Patrick Smullen will not be available. He has a stakes commitment in Ireland next Sunday and was unable to make flight arrangements that would accommodate his return.

Grey Swallow has won five of 12 starts and earned $1,417,293. The son of Daylami will make his first start since a third-place finish in the Canadian International Championship (Can-I) at Woodbine in October.

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