Connie Swingle Best in Del Mar Feature
Del Mar, CA (September 2, 2022) – Courtesy of DMTC. 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.