Ala Sawab gets restarted after stumbling in debut
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Ala Sawab’s debut in late August ended nearly as soon as it began, when the 2-year-old stumbled badly out of the gate and unseated jockey Joel Rosario. Trainer John Sadler has taken his time getting the Flightline colt back in action, and he will make his highly anticipated second start in the first race on Friday at Del Mar.
“We didn’t have a scenario set up for him to go to his head out of the gate,” Sadler said. “But that’s just looking backwards. We’re looking forward now. This would be nice to get him one here in November, and then, hopefully, he’d be right around two turns as he’s turning 3.”
Sadler said Ala Sawab stumbled in his debut because of a “grabbed quarter,” meaning that he overreached with his hind foot and struck his front heel. That tore away a great deal of tissue in his front hoof, which required time to regrow.
“Sometimes, grabbed quarters [is a term] used loosely, but he took a little chunk out of his foot,” Sadler said.
Because he was sired by the champion Flightline, who was trained by Sadler throughout an undefeated six-race career, Ala Sawab’s debut garnered significant attention.
He was purchased by KAS Stables for $400,000 at the 2025 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale and is one of three Flightline juveniles entered by Sadler this year, along with the debut winner Inshallah and On Edge. Ala Sawab’s dam, Message, won the $75,000 Tranquillity Lake at Del Mar in 2020.
If he had taken care of business at 3-5 in his August debut, Sadler said it is likely he would have stretched him out in distance by now. Instead, he will go 6 1/2 furlongs against five rivals in a $65,000 maiden special weight on Friday.
“We always thought he’ll be better next year,” Sadler said. “We think he’ll be better around two turns, but we’re anxious to get him started. He needs to get racing.”
In five workouts since early October, the juvenile has gradually sharpened back into the form he was displaying in August. On Oct. 25, he completed five furlongs from the gate in 59.60 seconds, the fastest of 79 runners working at the distance that day.
Ala Sawab’s most likely challenger in the short field is Bold Type, who will make his third start for Bob Baffert. He improved slightly on a good track at Santa Anita last month, flashing early speed and hanging on for second with a 67 Beyer Speed Figure.
Trainer Andy Mathis could also get more from the third-time starter Cyprus Avenue, who finished a well-beaten third behind Bold Type last time out. In his September debut at Del Mar, he earned a 62 Beyer and finished well behind in a much deeper maiden special weight.
In the third race on Friday, a maiden special weight on turf, Sadler entered the juvenile colt Gallant Jack, who will switch to the grass after finishing fifth in his debut on dirt in September. His dam, Star of Gallantry, produced the successful turf sprinter Carimba, a listed stakes winner in 2023.
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