Royal Charter shortens up, gets another shot in Swingtime
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Royal Charter could not handle the distance of the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar last month when she faded from the lead to finish fifth.
The loss has not diminished trainer Leonard Powell’s opinion of the 4-year-old filly. Royal Charter is back in a stakes, albeit at a lower level, in Monday’s $80,000 Swingtime Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita.
“It was a bit too far for her,” Powell said of the distance of the Mabee. “I think a mile is a perfect distance for her.”
Owned by Apple Tree Stud, Royal Charter starts from the inside post in a field of nine in the Swingtime, which is restricted to fillies and mares who have not won a stakes worth $60,000 or more to the winner in races at a mile or more this year other than in statebred races.
Royal Charter, who will be ridden by Diego Herrera, began her career in Europe and has been based with Powell since the beginning of the year. She won her debut in California in an allowance race at a mile on turf April 6 at Santa Anita, one of six winners that day for jockey Frankie Dettori.
Royal Charter was second in an allowance race at 1 1/16 miles on turf Aug. 11 at Del Mar before the loss in the Mabee. Royal Charter set a modest pace in the Mabee before losing by 2 3/4 lengths to Hang the Moon.
In the Swingtime, Powell expects Herrera to have Royal Charter in a forward position early.
“I think she’s going to be close,” he said. “She will be in the hunt.”
There could be an active pace in the Swingtime, the stakes debut at a mile for Queen of the Mud and the stakes debut for the well-regarded Irish-bred filly Gypsy Woman.
Queen of the Mud, trained by Graham Motion, has finished second in three consecutive sprint stakes for fillies and mares on turf and synthetic tracks at Monmouth Park, Presque Isle Downs, and Laurel since late June.
Motion said Queen of the Mud deserves a chance in a longer race.
“We have struggled to figure out what she wants to do,” he said. “I think somewhere between six furlongs and a mile is what she wants to do.”
Even though the Swingtime has a modest purse, Motion said there is additional value if Queen of the Mud can win a stakes.
“Black type is important wherever it is,” he said, referring to the designation given to stakes winners.
With Queen of the Mud having raced in sprints, Motion expects her to be near the front.
“She’ll be handy,” he said.
Gypsy Woman was a troubled third in her American debut on July 21 at Del Mar and won an allowance race at a mile on turf Aug. 18 at Del Mar in her second start.
“She was maybe unlucky to not win first time in the U.S.,” trainer Mark Glatt said. “She followed with a strong performance. She ran down kind of a lone speed horse.”
Gypsy Woman starts from the outside post in the Swingtime, but is likely to be close early under jockey Abel Cedillo.
“Hopefully, it won’t be an issue,” Glatt said of the post position. “I think a stalking trip would be nice. She puts herself into the race.”
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