SWALE S. (gr. III ), Gulfstream Park , March 02, 2013 , $150,000 Guaranteed , value of race $190,000 , 3 yo , 7 furlongs , 1:23.19 Dirt FT .

Clearly Now, who is a sixth-generation product of Claiborne Farm’s breeding program, performed in a fashion similar to the rest of his black-type achieving female family when the son of Horse Greeley rallied late to capture the March 2 Swale Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park.

It was the first graded stakes victory for the 3-year-old dark bay or brown colt, whose first seven dams are all either stakes winners or stakes-placed.

Trained by Brian Lynch, Clearly Now came into the Swale off a third-place effort to Itsmyluckyday in the Jan. 26 Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III), also at the South Florida track. Having started his career at Woodbine in Canada, where he also placed third in the 2012 Display Stakes, Clearly Now has earned $214,598 from five starts.

Clearly Now was purchased for $30,000 by Ron Fleischman, agent, at the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale from Claiborne Farm, agent. He is owned by Up Hill Stable, a partnership group headed by Leonard Zenith, a lawyer from Calvary, Alberta, Canada.

In operation for more than a century, the Hancock family’s Claiborne near Paris, Ky., has been honored with multiple Eclipse Awards as the nation’s leading breeder. It was especially fitting a horse bred by the operation won the Swale Stakes, as the race is named after Claiborne’s homebred who captured the 1984 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes (both gr. I).

Clearly Now is out of the stakes-placed Arch mare Bend, whose second dam, Hitch (by Cox’s Ridge), is a multiple stakes winner and graded stakes-placed. Bend’s 2-year-old colt by farm stallion Stroll was bought for $31,000 by Peter Pugh out of Book 5 at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale from Claiborne Farm. The 12-year-old mare, whose youngest offspring is a yearling Stroll colt, is carrying a full brother to Clearly Now and is due in April.

Horse Greeley is the sire of one other stakes winner, Really Mr Greely, who captured the 2012 Hollywood Prevue Stakes (gr. III). A 9-year-old son of Mr. Greeley, Horse Greeley stands for $2,500 at Claiborne.—E.M.

BAY SHORE S. (gr. III ), Aqueduct , April 06, 2013 , $250,000 Guaranteed , value of race $250,000 , 3 yo , 7 furlongs , 1:22.09 Dirt FT .

In the first stakes race of his career, Kimberly and Nick Zito’s Lucky Shamrock Stable homebred Declan’s Warrior, by Majestic Warrior, unleashed a furious stretch rally to edge this year’s Swale Stakes (gr. III) winner Clearly Now by a head in the $250,000 Bay Shore Stakes (gr. III) April 6 at Aqueduct.

The come-from-behind victory helped second-crop sire Majestic Warrior to a solid day at Aqueduct Racetrack as Princess of Sylmar earned her first graded stakes-placing when second to Close Hatches in the Gazelle Stakes (gr. II).

As 2-year-olds, Majestic Warrior’s first crop failed to register a stakes win, but they are hitting their stride this season. Besides Declan’s Warrior, Majestic Warrior boasts 2013 3-year-old stakes winners Princess of Sylmar, who has won a pair of stakes at Aqueduct; Ante Up Annie, a stakes winner at Fair Grounds; and Special Warrior, a stakes winner in Puerto Rico.

The success of Majestic Warrior’s 3-year-olds provides a counter point to his racing career, in which he failed to register a win in four stakes starts in his 3-year-old season after a spectacular juvenile year that included a 21/4-length victory in the 2007 Hopeful Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course. Majestic Warrior raced for his breeder, George Steinbrenner’s Kinsman Stable, through that stakes win after which Coolmore-associated owners Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor, and Susan Magnier also bought into the A.P. Indy colt.

Nick Zito said a patient approach with Declan’s Warrior is paying dividends.

“I think he’s just a beautiful horse. He’s so consistent,” Zito said. “He could be a special horse. Honestly, he could be better than we think.”

Declan’s Warrior is the second winner out of the Saint Ballado mare Comanche Star, who also has produced stakes winner Canonize, by Aldebaran. Saint Ballado ranked 20th on the 2012 broodmare sire list. While she only registered one career victory, Comanche Star also proved consistent on the track, placing eight times from 13 starts.

Majestic Warrior boasts the aforementioned four stakes winners this season. He stands for $12,500 at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky.—F.A