Havana Ready for Swale Return

Trainer Todd Pletcher is expecting to take the wraps off of Havana in the $200,000 Swale Stakes (G2) next Saturday at Gulfstream Park. The son of Dunkirk has not raced since finishing a game second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita on November 2.            

"He's doing well," Pletcher said. "I plan to breeze him on Sunday and, assuming that goes smoothly, we will go in the Swale."            

A $575,000 juvenile purchase by the partnership of Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor, Havana smoked five furlongs in 1:02.64 in his career debut at Saratoga. The gray colt withstood Honor Code to land the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont on October 5 prior to his California trip. Freshened up afterwards, the Eclipse Award finalist got back on the work tab on February 1 and has recorded four works in the interim.            

In the seven-furlong Swale, Havana will likely square off with unbeaten No Nay Never, who traveled overseas to score a brace of Group 1 races for trainer Wesley Ward last summer.            

"You never expect a graded stakes here to be easy," Pletcher added. "But we need to get him started somewhere, so we'll see how it goes."