Heart Stealer Makes Graded Debut in Sugar Swirl

The 3-year-old daughter of Speightstown broke first in her subsequent outing, but she was unable to get to the winner’s circle. Out-gunned for the early lead, Heart Stealer chased R Free Roll throughout the six-furlong minor stakes at Calder, finishing second by a length to the Ralph Ziadie-trained filly.

 

“She’s so green and inexperienced running against that filly. She’s a little better now than she was then,” said Wolfson, who had taken over the training of the Peachtree Stable’s filly prior to her Gulfstream romp. “And the first time at Calder, to run 1:10 flat, that’s not bad.”

 

Javier Castellano is set to ride Heart Stealer for the first time in the Sugar Swirl, in which she is rated second in the morning line at 3-1 for a rematch with 2-1 favorite R. Free Roll in the speed-filled six-horse field. Crazy About Me and Classic Point, both rated at 4-1 in the morning line, also possess high turns of early speed.

 

The Jorge Navarro-trained Crazy About Me was claimed for $15,000 out of a winning performance at Churchill Downs in May and won four straight before finishing third in the $100,000 Safely Kept at Laurel. Stretching out to seven furlongs, the 3-year-old daughter of Lawyer Ron flashed her usual early speed before faltering late.

 

“They ran two seconds faster than the boys (in the City of Laurel) that day,” said Navarro of his filly’s half-mile in 45 1/5 seconds. “The track was also deeper than the Monmouth track she was running on.”

 

Crazy About Me, who’ll be ridden by Kendrick Carmouche, may be at a disadvantage if she doesn’t break cleanly from the rail post position.

 

Classic Point, trained by Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens, has set the pace in two high-profile graded stakes at Saratoga last summer. The 4-year-old daughter of Flatter just missed holding on in the six-furlong Honorable Miss (G2) while beaten by a neck by Dance to Bristol. She also set the pace in the seven-furlong Test (G1), in which she finished two lengths behind Dance to Bristol.

 

Classic Point, who is scheduled to be ridden by Alex Solis, has drawn the outside post position, which could prove to be an advantage in a race with a lot of speed.

 

“I don’t think she needs the lead. She ran a real good race one day when she lay right in behind everybody and came through on the rail and won,” said Jerkens of an optional claiming allowance victory at Belmont last summer.