SV Photography
By Sarah Mace
Westrock Stables LLC’s Swing and Sway (Maclean’s Music) won the 36th running of the 6-furlong, $50,000 Niagara Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies at Finger Lakes Monday afternoon in commanding fashion.
The second-top New York-bred seller at the 2016 OBS March sale, where she was purchased by Westrock for $185,000 via private sale, Swing and Sway is starting to build a fine resume, with three wins and a second from five starts and $139,890 in earnings.
Swing and Sway went postward for the Niagara under jockey Harry Hernandez as one of three 2-1 co-favorites in the field of seven: her 2.35-1 odds were two ticks behind favorite Tiznow’s Smile (2.25-1) and one tick behind Clara’s Gone West, an undefeated, never-headed full sister to Debra Breed’s Finger Lakes sprint star Breakin the Fever (2.30-1).
Exiting the outside gate alertly, Swing and Sway participated from the start in the scrum up front, which was led by Clara’s Gone West through an opening quarter-mile in 21.84. Meanwhile Tiznow’s Smile had an abysmal start, breaking awkwardly and spotting the leaders at least ten lengths.
Hernandez aboard Swing and Sway launched a confident early move in the far turn and struck the front midway round the bend. The pair opened three lengths on their rivals by the head of the lane and never looked back, driving home to a 4 3/4-length victory in a final time of 1:10.97 over a drying-out “good” racing surface.
The only horse to make up ground on the winner was the tough-luck Tiznow’s Smile, who went from last to second in the stretch to get the place, finishing two lengths ahead of 36-1 longshot and maiden Downtown At Noon. Completing the order of finish were Ribbonite, Filibustin, Rip Loves Maize and pacesetter Clara’s Gone West. [VIDEO REPLAY]
Swing and Sway returning to the winner’s circle for her close-up (SV Photography)
After opening her account as a juvenile with a fifth-place finish at Saratoga last September, Swing and Sway resurfaced this year in three races at Oaklawn Park where she broke her maiden second out and scored back-to-back Beyers in the 80s while finishing second, then first at the allowance level. Returned to New York at the end of May, she came into the Niagara following a troubled trip in the Bouwerie on Showcase Day.
Bred by Canyon Lake Thoroughbreds and foaled at Keane Stud in Amenia, Swing and Sway is out of a winning Kentucky-bred Gilded Time mare Placerita (Gilded Time). The filly has seven winning siblings, led by graded winner Sticksstatelydude and multiple stakes winner Saturday Nite Ride. The family tree also boasts Grade 1 winners The Big Beast and Slew the Dragon.
The filly first changed hands for $50,000 as a short yearling at the 2015 Keeneland January mixed sale. Purchased by Woodford Sales for $117,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling sale in Saratoga, she attracted the attention of Westrock at the OBS March sale of 2-year-olds after a co-bullet :9 4/5 breeze in the under tack show.
