Without Flashpoint in the $150,000 Swale (gr. II), everyone else’s job just got a heck of a lot easier.
Flashpoint, who romped by more than seven lengths in the Feb. 26 Hutcheson (gr. II) and would have been the heavy favorite in the Swale, will instead run in the $1 million Florida Derby (gr. I) later on Gulfstream Park’s April 3 card. That leaves the seven-furlong Swale wide-open to the six 3-year-olds that have entered. Post time is an early 1:55 p.m. EDT.
Without Flashpoint in there, Todd Pletcher holds a strong hand with a pair of contenders that finished well back of him in the Hutcheson. E. Paul Robsham Stables’ homebred Travelin Man finished second, while Let’s Go Stable’s Razmataz was more than 11 lengths back in fourth in their stakes debuts. Travelin Man, who will break from the outside under John Velazquez, broke his maiden by more than seven lengths in his debut going six furlongs at Gulfstream on Jan. 6. The son of Trippi will carry low weight of 115 pounds in the Swale.
Razmataz broke his maiden at second asking last summer at Churchill Downs and was a narrow allowance winner at Gulfstream in his season debut in January. The Forest Wildcat colt wasn’t able to keep up with the speed in the Hutcheson, but should be closer to the pace this time around. He will break from post 2 under Cornelio Velasquez.
Also returning from the Hutcheson is third-place finisher Little Drama and Black N Beauty, who did not finish the race after being pulled up. Florida homebred Little Drama won the Frank Gomez Memorial Stakes last summer at Calder and recorded an allowance victory later that season. He was off the board in two other state-bred stakes during his juvenile season.
Black N Beauty won a one-mile allowance at Gulfstream in his season debut and was fifth in the Holy Bull (gr. III).
Carrying top weight of 123 pounds will be Indiano, who suffered his first defeat in six lifetime starts last out in his United States debut—a March 20 six-furlong allowance race at Gulfstream. Bred in Kentucky and bought at Keeneland as a yearling, Indiano won his first five starts in Panama and was named the country’s champion 2-year-old colt. The Indian Charlie colt is now in the barn of Marty Wolfson.
Completing the field is Megalith, winner of the OBS Sprint on March 14.
$150,000 Swale (gr. II, Race 3, 1:55 p.m.), 3YOs, 7 Furlongs (Dirt)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Black N Beauty (ON), P Lopez, 117, D L Romans
2. Razmataz (KY), J Castellano, 117, T A Pletcher
3. Little Drama (FL), J Bravo, 121, D Fawkes
4. Indiano (KY), J R Leparoux, 123, M D Wolfson
5. Megalith (FL), R Maragh, 121, R B Spatz
6. Travelin Man (KY), J R Velazquez, 115, T A Pletcher