Sweet Swap looks for consecutive turf-sprint wins in San Simeon

[bc_video_id:321097:]ARCADIA, Calif. – For the time being, Sweet Swap is a turf sprinter.

The 5-year-old Sweet Swap won the Joe Hernandez Stakes on the hillside turf course Feb. 23 at Santa Anita, a victory that has led to a start in Sunday’s $100,000 San Simeon Stakes over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. The Grade 3 San Simeon is a race Sweet Swap will be favored to win.

“We’ll try him at a mile at Del Mar,” trainer John Sadler said. “When he won so impressively the other day, it makes sense to go in the San Simeon.”

Owned by Hronis Racing, Sweet Swap, by Candy Ride, has won 5 of 11 starts and earned $227,133. He is a full-brother to Sidney’s Candy, the millionaire who won the 2010 Santa Anita Derby. Those bloodlines make Sadler anxious to try Sweet Swap in longer races this year.

For the San Simeon, Sweet Swap will be a threat from just off the pace. Sweet Swap was always close to the front in the Hernandez Stakes, closing from fourth to win by 1 3/4 lengths over Zimmer, who is part of the San Simeon field.

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The San Simeon will be Sweet Swap’s third start of 2014. He was second to Lakerville in the Clocker’s Corner Stakes on the hillside turf course Jan. 26 after stumbling at the start.

“We were unlucky in his first start back,” Sadler said.

Lakerville is part of the San Simeon field. Trained by Barry Abrams, Lakerville followed his win in the Clocker’s Corner with a troubled second in the Sensational Star Stakes for California-breds on the hillside turf course Feb. 22 and a sixth in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf March 8.

Abrams said Lakerville was too far back in the Kilroe to be effective in the stretch, and a return to a turf sprint will favor the 6-year-old horse.

“He should like that,” Abrams said.

The San Simeon has a field of 10. Chips All In, the winner of the Grade 3 Eddie D Stakes on the hillside turf course last September, may set the pace. He was fourth in the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes on the hillside Dec. 28 in his most recent race.

The stakes-placed Chiloquin can win his first stakes since the 2011 Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar. Chiloquin has not raced since finishing third in the Pirate’s Bounty Stakes at Del Mar last September.