Swipe, Texas Red work toward 2016 debuts

ARCADIA, Calif. – Swipe, second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last fall, and Texas Red, who won the Jim Dandy Stakes last summer, both moved closer to their 2016 debuts with demanding workouts on Saturday morning at Santa Anita for trainer Keith Desormeaux.

Swipe went six furlongs from the gate in 1:12.80 as the pace of his drills accelerates toward his first start of the year. He has not run since the Breeders’ Cup, and Desormeaux has said that if Swipe progressed to his satisfaction, there was a chance he’d try to run in one Kentucky Derby prep in a Hail Mary bid to get into the May 7 Derby.

This was his second straight work at six furlongs, following drills at four and five furlongs. He also had two earlier moves that were so slow that they did not make the tab, so he has been on a regular schedule of Saturday works for more than a month now.

Texas Red worked a mile in 1:39.80 and seems just about set for his first race since finishing fifth in the Travers Stakes last summer. He has had seven timed works at Santa Anita since Feb. 9.

Also working Saturday was Zenyatta’s first foal, Cozmic One, who went five furlongs in 1:01 for trainer John Shirreffs. Cozmic One, 4, has not raced since July 8, when he finished seventh in a maiden race at Belmont Park in his second career start.