John Sadler trained Switch all geared up to end her winning drought in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch at Del Mar
The 4-year-old filly, Switch, has had an impressive season so far with three runners up finishes and a sole win in the all important Grade 1 Santa Monica Stakes out of 4 starts in the season.
The C R K Stable owned filly has come so close to winning a Grade 1 race this season that her trainer, John Sadler, is inclined towards racing her in another Grade 1 race around two turns with a slight change in strategy perhaps this time.
That is why John Sadler has entered the 4-year-old filly in the $300,000 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar.
The filly has had three second place finishes in a row, in her three recent races over at a distance of 1 1/8 miles and once at 1 1/16 miles.
Jockey Joel Rosario has ridden the filly the most part of her career, will be looking to guide the unlucky filly in her fifth Grade 1 race of the season.
The strategy would be to keep the filly off pace at the beginning, building it up behind Freedom Star, the expected pace setter.
The Clement Hirsch is run at a distance of 1 1/16 miles and the running behind the pace setter in such distance indicates that her connections are hoping that a close position might lead up to a grade 1 win.
Last time around in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park synthetic surface on 18 June, 2011, Switch, under Joel Rosario, was ready to take on the likes of Blind Luck and Miss Match on the 1 1/8 mile event.
The pair broke off the gates with blistering speed, tracked the leaders but maintained a steady pace, matching strides with the champion filly, Blind Luck, in the mid pack.
The cue was to pick it up when Blind Luck picks it up for the final all out bursting run for the wire.
Joel Rosario got the cue and ran besides the filly, gathering up the momentum at pace for the final blow.
After the turn on the stretch, Switch relaxed a bit just before edging out which probably cost her a Grade 1 win, and Blind Luck cruised home to win.
The final time for the race was 1 minute and 50.89 seconds with Miss Match coming in third, half a length behind Switch.
Miss Match defeated Switch by a head in the Santa Anita Grade 1 Santa Margarita on dirt, also run at 1 1/8 miles. The filly couldn’t provide that potent finish, which is required to win the big races, and fell short yet again on 12 March, 2011.
Hopefully, Switch will be able to end her Grade 1 winning drought in the Clement Hirsch on 6 August, 2011.
Tags: