Castletown will try to gain edge in sprint division in Swift Stakes

PHOENIX – Castletown attempts to take control of the Turf Paradise sprint division Saturday as he leads a competitive field in the $35,000 Swift Stakes. The 5 1/2-furlong dash drew a full field of 12. The Swift serves as a prep for the meet’s marquee event, the $75,000 Phoenix Gold Cup on Feb. 14.

Owned by Mercedes Stables and trained by Robertino Diodoro, the 7-year-old gelding looked very much on top of his game at Canterbury last summer, topped by a big win in the HBPA Sprint there Sept. 12, earning a heady 101 Beyer Speed Figure. He then shipped to Remington Park for the Remington Sprint Cup but blew the start and was never a factor, finishing eighth of nine.

Castletown regrouped and returned here Dec. 7 to romp over some quality optional claimers by 5 3/4 lengths, posting a 95 Beyer. That win makes him 2 for 2 on this track. Jorge Carreno, who has been up for his last three starts, remains aboard.

His main opposition may come from Omar, a 6-year-old son of Bertrando who comes here having won three straight, including the Caballos del Sol on Nov. 15. He then shipped to Sunland, where he gamely won the KLAQ Handicap on Dec. 6.

Other contenders include Absolutely Cool, a tough veteran who has been among the sprint elite here the past few years and captured last year’s Phoenix Gold Cup; Balooga Bull, who cuts back to a sprint after running sixth in the Walter R. Cluer (a turf mile) and sixth in the Hank Mills Sr. Handicap (a dirt mile) here at this meet and was the best horse at Assiniboia Downs before coming here, having rattled off numerous stakes wins among his 16 wins in 23 starts; and Magic D’ Oro, who knocked heads with Balooga Bull numerous times at Assiniboia but did his best work in sprints.

KEY CONTENDERS

Castletown (Last 3 Beyers: 95-54-101)

◗ He was good enough in the fall of 2012 to earn a start in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, in which he dueled for the lead and finished a most respectable fifth, beaten just 1 3/4 lengths.

◗ He has considerable speed but isn’t a need-the-lead type, as he’s won from just off the early pace.

◗ A son of champion sprinter Orientate, he owns the five top Beyers in the race (101, 99, 98, 97, 95).

Omar (Last 3 Beyers: 90-92-93)

◗ He continues his ascent and has shown that while he has ample speed, he can still duel and prevail.

◗ He won the only two times he’s raced at this 5 1/2-furlong distance. He’s also unbeaten in his three starts on this track.

◗ He has been freshened a bit since his Dec. 6 stakes win at Sunland Park, and the last time he came back from a similar layoff, he won easily.

Absolutely Cool (Last 3 Beyers: 73-83-73)

◗ He chased the pace before finishing second in this race last year.

◗ He is winless in five starts since taking the Phoenix Gold Cup on Feb. 15 but hasn’t run badly, with a second and two thirds in that stretch.

◗ He has been freshened since finishing fourth to Castletown in that Dec. 7 optional claimer here but has worked strongly three times since, including two bullets (four furlongs in 47 seconds Dec. 30 and five furlongs in 58.60 on Dec. 22).