Published Friday, September 2nd, 2022   ( 1 year ago )

D'Amato Pair Run One, Two in Friday Main Event at Del Mar

Connie Swingle | Benoit Photo

Connie Swingle © Benoit Photo

Trainer Phil D’Amato has one of the most active stables at Del Mar. He’s just a bit shy of having run 100 horses at the meet through its first 25 days. But Friday he only saddled two runners all day and they were both in the same race.

He really didn’t need to do anymore.

His 3-year-old filly Connie Swingle, who races for owner/breeder Nick Alexander, came running late under Kyle Frey to best Jack Sims’ favored Leggs Galore, also trained by D’Amato.

The victory was the trainer’s 14 of the session and put him in a tie with Bob Baffert for leading conditioner at the stand. He also has 18 seconds and 19 thirds, making him the leader in both those departments.

Connie Swingle, who turned in a game stretch run to get up to tally by a half length, ran the five furlongs on turf in :56.64 and earned $67,080 from the gross purse of $108,140 in the allowance/optional claimer for fillies and mares that served as the feature on the nine-race program. The winner is a gray daughter of Alexander’s home sire, Grazen, and she’s now won five of her eight starts and total purses of $337,620.

Connie Swingle paid $5.40, $2.80 and $2.20 across the board. Leggs Galore, who went off as the 13-10 favorite, returned $3.00 and $2.20, while third-place finisher, Aqua Seaform Shame, owned by Calvin Nguyen, paid $2.40 to show.

The track’s Pick Six Single Ticket Jackpot wager was not hit again and its carryover rose to $115,546.  That will feed into tomorrow’s Pick Six on the 11-race card which is under “mandatory payout” rules and will be won by those with the most winners among the final six races of the day.

First post for the Saturday program is 1 p.m. and the day features five stakes races topped by the 32nd edition of the $1-million TVG Pacific Classic featuring the undefeated superstar Flightline.