Swipe wins maiden in Summer Juvenile Championship
CYPRESS, Calif. – For a 2-year-old, Swipe is a big colt with a long stride.
He used that kick to catch the stretch leader Mrazek in the final strides and win Sunday’s $85,100 Summer Juvenile Championship at Los Alamitos, his first win in his third career start.
Ridden by Kent Desormeaux for his brother, Keith, Swipe ($7.80) ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:02.89, winning by a head. The late rally by Swipe, who is by Birdstone, did not surprise Keith Desormeaux.
“He’s bred to close,” Keith Desormeaux said.
The Summer Juvenile Championship was the closing-day feature at the Los Alamitos summer meeting. The Del Mar summer meeting opens Thursday.
Swipe raced in last briefly on the backstretch behind five runners fighting for the lead. Kent Desormeaux kept Swipe on the inside on the turn and stayed on the rail into the stretch when Mrazek led by two lengths. Desormeaux guided Swipe off the inside to the outside of Mrazek with a furlong to and got a response in the last sixteenth.
“I think the decisive move was when Kent got him off the rail and rallied,” Keith Desormeaux said. “They were both running.”
Mrazek finished 7 1/4 lengths clear of Dubdubwatson, who was followed by Swiss Minister, Ralis, and Taste’s Secret. Ralis, the 8-5 favorite, was part of the early speed duel and faded to finish nine lengths behind Swipe.
Swipe races for Matt Bryan’s Big Chief Racing and was the third stakes win in Southern California in the last month for Keith Desormeaux. He won the Landaluce Stakes for 2-year-old fillies with Right There on June 21 and the $150,000 San Juan Capistrano Stakes with Bryan’s Crucero on June 28.
Right There won for the first time in her career in the Landaluce. Swipe was second in a maiden race May 22 at Santa Anita and third in the Tremont Stakes at Belmont Park after a wide trip June 5.
“We’re getting good at breaking maidens in stakes,” Keith Desormeaux said.
He said Swipe will be considered for the $200,000 Best Pal Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs Aug. 8.