Pletcher: Swale winner My Prankster likely to stay sprinting

Robert and Lawana Low’s My Prankster earned his first stakes victory Saturday at Gulfstream Park, rallying from off the pace to win the Grade 3, $100,000 Swale Stakes.

The seven-furlong Swale was the first of five graded stakes for 3-year-olds on Saturday’s program that was headlined by the $250,000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3), the first graded stakes on the Road to the Florida Derby (G1).

Although he lived up to his even-money favoritism with a gutsy half-length victory in the Swale, My Prankster isn’t a likely candidate for Gulfstream’s premier 1 1/8-mile Triple Crown prep.

“We’ll play it by ear,” Pletcher said. “He gives me the impression that he’s a one-turn horse, but we won’t rule anything out yet.”

My Prankster, who was coming off a Dec. 10 optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream after finishing second in the six-furlong Bowman Mill at Keeneland, broke from the rail post position and was outrun early as In Dreams took immediate command. The Brad Cox-trained frontrunner went on to set fractions of 22.36 and 44.87 seconds for the first half-mile.

Leading jockey Luis Saez took My Prankster to the outside on the backstretch and the son of Into Mischief made steady progress to enter contention on the far turn. Dean Delivers and jockey Miguel Vasquez moved alongside the tiring pacesetter on the turn into the homestretch as My Prankster pulled alongside him while making a three-wide sweep. Dean Delivers fought on gamely through the stretch but was unable to hold off the Pletcher-trained favorite.

“We were concerned about the ‘1’ draw. It cost him a little position early and you could see when he was getting dirt in his face, he wasn’t liking it. He was climbing the first eighth of a mile,” Pletcher said. “Luis was able to get him out in the clear. The key part of the race, in the middle of the turn, he put in a big run to catch up.”

My Prankster ran seven furlongs in 1:23.13 to register his third victory in five starts.

“Luis said he got there a little sooner than he wanted, and he idled a little when he made the lead, but it was another professional effort. He’s a nice horse,” Pletcher said.

Saez entered the Swale with a lot of confidence.

“The (last) work was pretty good, pretty easy. I felt like he was ready for this race,” Saez said. “He always tries. He’s an honest horse. I’m so glad to be part of the team.”

My Prankster, a $600,000 yearling purchase at the 2020 Keeneland September sale, won his debut by 10 lengths at Saratoga on Aug. 21 at 6½ furlongs before finishing a well-beaten fourth in the mile Champagne (G1) at Belmont. The Kentucky-bred was narrowly beat in the Bowman Mill while cutting back in distance before returning to the winner’s circle in his first two races during Gulfstream’s Championship Meet.

Dean Delivers finished 2½ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Of a Revolution.