From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 1, 2022)—A gem of consistency under any conditions, Nick Alexander’s homebred Connie Swingle remained unbeaten down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course as she held off a fast-finishing Pammy’s Ready by a neck in Saturday’s $85,000 Unzip Me Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Handled by regular rider Kyle Frey, who doubled on the day, Connie Swingle, a California-bred daughter of Grazen, got about 6 ½ furlongs down the hill in 1:11.87.
According to trainer Phil D’Amato in the Daily Racing Form, her next start may come against fillies and mares in the $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course on Oct. 29.
Lapped on pacesetter Delmona to the dirt crossing, Connie Swingle blasted clear a furlong out and registered her second stakes win and her first in open company. Unbeaten in three hillside tries and a winner of four out of her last five starts, all with Frey, Connie Swingle is now 9-6-2-1 overall with earnings of $411,564.
“Kyle gave her a great ride, sat off the heavy speed there and pounced and had enough to hold off late,” said D’Amato. “It’s Nick Alexander, another nice offspring of Grazen, and what can I say? It’s just a long line of success with that stallion.”
A half-length winner of a five-furlong turf allowance at Del Mar Sept. 2, Connie Swingle, who is out of the Sky Mesa mare Sky Marni, was off as the 6-5 favorite in a field of nine and paid $4.60, $3.00 and $2.60.
“She just really wants to beat you,” said Alexander. “Kyle said when the other horse came to her, she wanted to break again,”
Far back early under Ramon Vazquez, Pammy’s Ready simply ran out of real estate as the wire appeared in time for the winner. Off at 20-1, Pammy’s Ready finished three quarters of a length in front of Countess Rosina and paid $13.40 and $9.00.
Ridden by Ryan Curatolo, Countess Rosina paid $6.40 to show while off at 13-1.
Fractions on the race were 21.53, 43.52 and 1:05.75.