Runaway turns into thriller in Red Tejas Challenge

Swingwithsatan(ENG) survived a challenge early, then really raised the bar in the second half to notch a victory in this week’s Red Tejas Challenge. This is the second stakes win for the young filly out of Pivotal(GB), and her fifth win overall in her ten starts. The win takes her earnings to the $459055 mark for her career, a very nice career average just short of 46K per race. The stakes win also helped her climb over halfway up the ladder in the three year old turf sprint division, taking her from 285 before the race to 138 afterwards. Payouts at the betting window, while not spectacular, didn’t have anyone jumping off the roofs. The winner paid $5.10 $2.50 $2.10 across the board. The exotics were passable though not great, with the exacta paying $27.30 and a payout of $81.60 in the trifecta.

Swingingwithsatan(ENG) got out front early in this one, shadowed closely by Berzerk Beast(KY) at the break, with Anointed Prayer(KY) sitting just off their tails. Swingwithsatan shrugged off the early challenge, opening up a length by first call, which she had managed to stretch to a pair as they crossed the half. As she went past the half post, jockey D Foster just seemed to turn her loose, and she simply ran away from the field, breezing past the third call and into the stretch with four and a quarter on the field. Hottie Wit A Body(KY) and Bythebadboy(ENG) both made a late flurry, eating up ground down the stretch, but the big lead was just too much to surmount. Swingingwithsatan(ENG) crossed the wire three quarters in front of a hard rushing Hottie Wit A Body(KY), who made up nearly four lengths down the stretch. Bythbadboy(ENG) took third place honors, two lengths out at the wire.