Vibez must deal with wide draw in Swingtime Stakes
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Considering her career nearly ended after one race in 2023, Vibez has had a remarkable year leading to Monday’s $80,000 Swingtime Stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita.
Vibez was diagnosed with a fractured tibia in September 2023 after a fifth-place finish in a maiden race at five furlongs on turf. The injury eventually healed, allowing Vibez to resume racing in April 2024.
“It was a blessing to see her okay,” trainer Peter Eurton said.
This year, Vibez has been at her best, finishing second by a neck in the Wasted Tears Stakes at Lone Star Park in July. In her last start, Vibez won an allowance race at a mile on turf by 3 1/4 lengths on Aug. 30 at Del Mar.
“She’s just grown up,” Eurton said.
Vibez, a 4-year-old filly by Collected, races for the partnership of Joe Ciaglia, Exline-Border Racing, Richard Hausman, and Garett Zubok. A winner of 3 of 13 starts, Vibez drew post 11 in the Swingtime, which is run at a mile on turf and restricted to nonwinners of a stakes worth $60,000 or more to the winner, other than statebred races, this year.
Eurton admits the wide post position is a concern.
“It’s not the greatest of draws,” he said. “She’s very handy. She doesn’t need a lot of pace in front of her to set it up. She needs to save some ground somewhere with that draw.”
The field includes Miss Roberts and Word Play, summertime allowance winners for trainer Jeff Mullins; Watchtower, who makes a rapid turnaround after her saddle slipped early in the Grade 2 Rodeo Drive Stakes on Oct. 4 at Santa Anita; and Raw Ability, who was a troubled seventh in the restricted Osunitas Stakes on July 20 at Del Mar while racing in traffic in the final furlong.
The Swingtime Stakes is the second start in the United States for the intriguing Violeta M, a six-time group stakes winner in Argentina from 2022-24 who finished fourth by 4 1/4 lengths behind Vibez on Aug. 30. Violeta M, trained by Marcelo Polanco, has won group-level stakes ranging from seven furlongs to a mile on turf.
Word Play, claimed for $50,000 in April, has won her last three starts, all at a mile on turf – two starter-allowance races and an allowance race on Sept. 6 at Del Mar. She is most effective as a stalker.
Miss Roberts has won two allowance races for turf sprinters since early April and was third in a similar race at five furlongs on turf on Aug. 29 at Del Mar after a wide trip.
At Woodbine in 2024, Miss Roberts was second or third in four allowance races on turf at distances ranging from 7 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles.
“We’re hoping that she lights the board,” Mullins said. “She was running long in Canada. When she got here, I talked them into letting me sprint her and it was the best thing for her.”
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