Share

Latest Articles  Sovereign Awards  Derby & Auction Prices  Santa Anita Derby Day  Wood Memorial Day  Kentucky Derby Contenders

2006 Darley Test Stakes Results

Eibar Coa and Swap Fliparoo after the Darley Test Stakes

On the undercard of the Whitney Handicap was the $250,000 Darley Test Stakes (G1), a 7 furlong sprint on the main track for 3-year-old fillies. A field of thirteen went to the gate in this event, with Ready to Please sent off as the lukewarm 3-1 favorite, having won the Fantasy at Oaklawn in April and was third in the Mother Goose in her last start. Also in the field were 4-1 second choice Hello Liberty, second in the Acorn at Belmont, and 6-1 third choice Swap Fliparoo, second in the Genuine Risk last time out.

35-1 longest shot Original Spin broke outward at the start bumping into Swap Fliparoo, then quickly got to the front leading the field by as many as 1 1/2 lengths while setting a pace of 22.02 and 44.67, as 24-1 Misty Rosette chased her in second. Swap Fliparoo dropped to the back of the field for the backstretch run. Around the turn, Original Spin continued to lead the pack and opened a 2 length lead on Misty Rosette with a furlong to go, after 6 furlongs in 1:10.03. However, Swap Fliparoo was hitting her best stride and, having found a hole on the turn, had come through and was quickly closing the gap with the pacesetters. Inside the 1/16 pole, Swap Fliparoo blew right on by to win by 2 lengths over Original Spin in 1:24.13 for the 7 furlongs run over a fast track. It was another length back to Misty Rosette, who just held off 13-1 Capote's Crown by a nose for the show spot. Favorite Ready to Please showed nothing and finished last.

Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 10 Swap Fliparoo Coa 13.80 8.80 7.00 9 Original Spin Jara 30.00 17.20 4 Misty Rosette Gomez 14.20 Winning Time: 1:49.06 $2 Exacta 10-9 572.00 $2 Trifecta 10-9-4 17,145.00 $2 Superfecta 10-9-4-7 96,046.00

Results Chart from DRF.

Swap Fliparoo in the winner's circle. On the far left are her trainer H. Allen Jerkens and his wife Elisabeth. Jerkens said, "Just the way it worked out. She was doing very well up here and everybody around her did good. I didn't think about running her any farther than (seven furlongs) until maybe in the fall. She's really a nice filly; now, she's got a Grade 1. I trained her grandmother, and she wasn't very much. I trained the mother (Fliparoo), she didn't run very much. I was a little worried about her up here with the heat. They fool you - they look like they lost a little weight. We might run her in the fall a little farther, but I think a mile and a quarter could be a little much for her."

Swap Fliparoo enjoys being hosed down after the race.

Eibar Coa is smiling like he knows what is going to happen as Swap Fliparoo leaves the paddock heading for the track. Coa said, "The race was kind of the way I thought it was going to be. I had a plan, and the plan was to stay back there and let the speed go and, hopefully, the speed would start backing up. I never panicked. I save ground, thinking I was going to swing out at some time. But the rail was open, so I just stayed there and everything worked out beautifully. She broke pretty sharp today, but I didn't want to change any thing."

Second place finisher Original Spin left the paddock early and skipped the post parade. Sherri Mitchell, wife and assistant to her trainer Anthony Mitchell said, "We knew going into this race that it was going to be a war. She has natural talent and we wanted her to go out there. Coming down the stretch, I was delighted for her and the owners that gave us the reins to try her in this race. It has been a mental issue with her since the Breeders' Cup. Physically, she has been fantastic." Jockey Fernando Jara added, "My filly ran great. She fought really hard. Turning for home, I thought we might have it, but she got a little tired. She ran a great race, but just couldn't hold off the winner."

Third place finisher Misty Rosette returns after the race.

Thirteen place finisher and beaten favorite Ready to Please in the post parade. Her jockey John Velazquez said, "I had a perfect trip, but when I asked her to run, she just didn't have anything. Nothing more to say. She just didn't have it."

Kicking off the stakes action on Whitney day was the $70,000 A In Sociology Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 mile on the inner turf course. Carnera, who ran for purse money only due to the late scratch of entrymate Changing Weather, stalked the early pace of 2-1 second choice Noble Deeds, then came out wide on the far turn, closing well through the stretch to win by a length over 6-1 Pure Incentive in 1:35.59 over the "firm" course. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to 6-5 favorite Yankee Master in third. Carnera's record improves to 3 wins in 9 starts with earnings of $129,066. Winning trainer Kiaran McLaughlin would go on to win the Whitney Handicap 2 races later with Invasor.
Results chart from Equibase

Back to Horse-Races.Net main page