Switch Back On Beam in A Gleam
In Saturday's Grade 2 A Gleam at Betfair Hollywood Park, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In’’ race, Switch ended a eight race losing streak, rallying from last after a
half-mile to prevail by 1 ¾ lengths in her first collaboration with
jockey Garrett Gomez.
The victory was the first for the 5-year-old daughter of Quiet
American and the Nicholas mare Antoniette since she won the Grade I
Santa Monica – which came five weeks after a Grade I victory in the La
Brea – Jan. 30, 2011 at Santa Anita.
Owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s C R K Stable, Switch won for the sixth time in 21 starts and pushed her bankroll to $1,362,562.
In addition to a fees-paid entry into the Breeders’ Cup Filly and
Mare Sprint, the Searings will also receive a $10,000 travel allowance
because of the “Win and You’re In’’ provision.
Successful for the third time in seven starts over Cushion Track,
Switch covered the seven furlongs in 1:24.37. She paid $6.60, $3.80 and
$2.60.
Outrun early after encountering some trouble leaving the gate, the
Kentucky bred swung widest of all into the stretch as the 122-pound
highweight and ran down 9-1 shot Sugarinthemorning.
A California bred trained by Hall of Famer Ron McAnally,
Sugarinthemorning paid $6.80 and $4 as she defeated 9-1 shot Glamorista
by 2 ¼ lengths. The show price on Glamorista was $4.80.
Completing the order of finish were American Lady, Teddy’s Promise, Izzy Rules and Mildly Offensive.
“It’s been a rough season for me with my (graded stakes) horses,’’
said Sadler, whose other A Gleam wins came with Dearest Trickski (2008)
and Evita Argentina (2009). “We ended up strong, so that’s really good.
There were a lot of Saturdays through the middle of the meet here where
we were second or third and we’re supposed to be winning those races.
I’m very relieved and happy and we’ll keep working. That’s our program.
“We knew with Switch she wasn’t real sharp in her first race (of
2012 May 5 at Churchill Downs) and I thought she needed her last race
(fourth in the Desert Stormer Handicap June 17), so it moved her forward
for this one. It’s all a process.’’
Sadler hopes with the Breeders’ Cup being in California Switch can
improve upon her second place finishes the last two years in the Filly
and Mare Sprint.
“I love the “Win and You’re In’’’, he said. “I think that’s tremendous. You save a lot of money on entry fees and you take the pressure off. She’s been a very good horse to us.’’