Daytona Stakes puts Sweet Swap on his favorite course
ARCADIA, Calif. – With 4 wins in 9 starts sprinting on Santa Anita’s turf course, a compelling case could be made that Sweet Swap is the local king of the hill, a position he will attempt to retain when he heads a field of 11 in the Grade 3, $100,000 Daytona Stakes on the hillside turf course here on Sunday.
Sweet Swap has won two of his last three starts on this unique 6 1/2-furlong course, the lone loss a fifth-place finish, beaten just a length, in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. That was his first start in more than six months. Sweet Swap then was wheeled back 13 days later and finished second going five furlongs on turf at Del Mar in an allowance race on Nov. 14.
“I ran him back quickly because I knew I’d get just one chance to run him at Del Mar, and I wanted to run him there rather than keep him on hold from the Breeders’ Cup until this weekend,” said his trainer, John Sadler. “He’s the most-proven horse down the hill.”
Sweet Swap will have to overcome the disadvantageous rail draw, but he has done it before, capturing an allowance race in September 2012 in an 11-horse field.
:: DRF Live: Get real-time updates and insights from DRF reporters and handicappers on Sunday
The Daytona is the eighth race on a nine-race card.
Daytona Stakes, race 8
KEY CONTENDERS:
Sweet Swap (Last 3 Beyers: 95-96-97)
◗ He’s a remarkably consistent horse who fires every time. He has won 6 of 14 starts, and when he loses, it’s usually not by much. He has finished in the money in 7 of 9 down the hill. Corey Nakatani, who has ridden him since Sweet Swap returned this fall, is back aboard.
Betty’s Bambino (Last 3 Beyers: 93-89-86)
◗ He’s the most-obvious challenger to Sweet Swap for the title of king of the hill, having won 3 of 4 starts on this course, including his last two, with both those recent wins by runaway margins while earning the best Beyer Speed Figures of his career.
Indianapolis (Last 3 Beyers: 90-95-97)
◗ He was cross-entered in the Grade 1 Malibu on opening day Friday, a race in which his trainer, Bob Baffert, entered three other runners. Assuming he ends up in this spot, it will be his first try on turf.
◗ He won his first three starts, then never had a fair chance in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint after breaking slowly from an inside draw.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Indianapolis. Trainer Bob Baffert is 44-1-5-6 with a $0.08 ROI over the past five years in all races on the Santa Anita hillside turf course. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
:: Learn more about Formulator | Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts
Lil Bit O’Fun (Last 3 Beyers: 82-80-89)
◗ He returns to his favorite trip after going long on turf and sprinting on dirt in his last two starts.
◗ As with Sweet Swap and Betty’s Bambino, he is accomplished over this course, with 2 wins in 3 starts. He also was a close third in the Grade 3 Eddie D during the autumn meeting here.
Ankeny Hill (Last 3 Beyers: 91-89-92)
◗ He has sharp early speed, but his chances will be compromised if Indianapolis ends up in this spot. Otherwise, Ankeny Hill could be the one to catch.
◗ He has yet to finish in the money in four starts on this hillside course, a sharp contrast to his overall record. He has five wins and nine in-the-money finishes in his other 11 starts.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Clubhouse Ride. Trainer Craig Lewis is 8-0-0-0 over the past five years cutting back from a route to a sprint on the Santa Anita hillside turf course.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
:: Learn more about Formulator | Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Majestic Kitten. Trainer David Hofmans is 7-2-2-0 with a $4.19 ROI over the past five years cutting back from a route to a sprint on the Santa Anita hillside turf course; he's 35-1-3-4 with a $0.16 ROI in all other turf sprints at Santa Anita. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
:: Learn more about Formulator | Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts