Swale Stakes Predictions, Odds, Picks (Gulfstream Park)

Odds for the race taken from TVG. If you’re looking for a great horse racing betting app then TVG betting might be the option for you.

A talented field of six young sprinters, led by In Dreams and My Prankster, will be in search of their first graded stakes win as they do battle going seven furlongs in the Grade 3 Swale Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

On the strength of two consecutive powerhouse wins at Churchill Downs and Oaklawn Park, the Brad Cox-trained In Dreams could rate favoritism. A dark bay son of Frosted, he has improved in each of his four career starts and has used ample early speed to dominate his competition by more than 12 combined lengths in the last two. The Swale will be his first try at seven furlongs and against stakes company on Saturday.

Vying for favoritism with In Dreams will be My Prankster from the barn of Todd Pletcher. A $600,000 yearling purchase, the well-bred son of Into Mischief comes in off a sharp allowance victory over the track eight weeks ago. Like In Dreams, he is 2-for-4 lifetime, but he has stakes experience, having finished second in the Bowman Mill at Keeneland and fourth in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park last fall.

Of the rest, Of a Revolution, second in the recent Limehouse Stakes at Gulfstream; Graphic Detail, a Bill Mott trained son of Practical Joke who finished fourth in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes locally; and Dean Delivers, a talented Florida-bred sprinter, all have the talent to give the top two all they want on Saturday.

Swale Stakes Predictions

In Dreams

This speedy son of Frosted will need to prove he can get it done against graded stakes competition, but judging from his improvement, he looks like he will fit right in. After a troubled and disappointing run in his debut, he flashed his speed, only to get run down on a wet-fast track at Keeneland in his second career start. With that experience under his belt, he has proven untouchable in his last two, a maiden at Churchill Downs and an allowance race at Oaklawn Park. Both were extremely impressive visually. The last one looks even better when the runner-up, Chasing Time, came back with a big win himself. The speed of the speed in here, it will be him they all have to catch. I think he has gotten this good.  He is the top pick.

My Prankster

Trained by Todd Pletcher, this well-bred colt has been talked about from the outset and ran to his advance billing, with a strong debut win at Saratoga by 10 lengths. That impressive career starter did not immediately transfer to stakes victories, though, as he was well beaten by Jack Christopher in the Grade 1 Champagne next, before coming up just short in the Bowman Mill at Keeneland. He got back on the winning track last time with a hard-fought allowance victory in  December. Given some spacing between his races, he should be a major factor once again as he returns to stakes action on Saturday. He’s not my top pick as one of the two favorites in here, but he must be respected.

Of a Revolution

This chestnut son of Maclean’s Music has done little wrong in three career races for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. All three of those races came at Gulfstream Park, and began with a sharp debut win over a future stakes winner last spring. After a layoff, he returned with a solid win in November against allowance company, and once again beat a soon-to-be stakes winner. Off that, he was made the favorite in his stakes debut, and tried hard but could not quite run down the speedy Lightning Larry in the Limehouse Stakes. Given how he finished that race five weeks ago, the seven-furlong distance of the Swale should suit him. This will be his toughest test to date, but anything less than another strong performance would be a surprise.

Graphic Detail

This son of Practical Joke was well-liked last time when he faced stakes horses in the Mucho Macho Man in only his second career start. Unfortunately, he weakened down the lane after stalking the talented speed horse Simplification early in the one-mile affair. A rallying winner going six furlongs at Belmont Park in his debut, the Bill Mott-trainee should improve off the experience and also appreciate the cut-back in distance to seven furlongs. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to keep up to all of this sprinting talent that will be ahead of him, but I do expect him to be finishing well, especially if the pace is hot early.

Dean Delivers

A Florida-bred son of Cajun Breeze, this gelding came back running after more than five months away, when he was a very game second to the highly regarded Dean’s List four weeks ago. Trained by Michael Yates, he ran very well last summer in two starts, romping in his debut, and just missing in the Dr. Fager division of the Florida Stallion Series. With three strong sprints already turned in at Gulfstream Park, and a very solid return to the races, he merits serious respect in his graded stakes debut. With good tactical speed and the ability to pass horses, he is certainly a threat to be in the exotics at decent odds on Saturday.

Mr. Bouma

This son of Candy Ride looks to be the lone outsider in the contentious field of six.  A winner of an Ellis Park maiden race four starts back, he has only been competitive in one of three starts since, and that came in allowance company. Trainer Dale Romans has him shortening up after four straight races at a mile or more, but he has found a very difficult spot to return to sprinting. Coming off an eighth-place finish in a Churchill Downs allowance race, I have a hard time believing that he can handle this field assembled for the Swale.

How to Watch the Swale Stakes