Gate to Wire Rallies to Take Swale in First Dirt Start

Rallying from fourth in a field of six 3-year-olds, Gate to Wire did not exactly live up to his name in the $155,000 Swale Stakes Feb. 1 at Gulfstream Park, but he was in front when it mattered most in the seven-furlong race: the finish. Drafting behind a hotly contested pace as Macho Music, Gunmetal, and Grayscale battled for the early lead, jockey Dylan Davis sent Gate to Wire four wide midway on the turn and his mount took care of the rest. He closed past Macho Music after that one had put away the other speed, and Gate to Wire piled up the margin over the final furlong to cross the wire five lengths in front. Macho Music held second and favored Gunmetal was third. The winner was timed on a fast track in 1:22.51, following demanding splits of :21.93 and :43.92 set by the front-runners. He paid $29.20 for a $2 win wager. Gate to Wire notched his second win in five starts, all of which have been in sprints. The Swale marked his first start on dirt after three starts on turf and another on synthetic. He had been second in the Futurity Stakes (G3T) last fall and 10th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) in two prior stakes outings. Todd Pletcher trains Gate to Wire for Donegal Racing, who purchased the chestnut Munnings colt for $95,000 from the Blandford Stud consignment to the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2023. Munnings, who stands for $65,000 at Ashford Stud in Kentucky, was the 10th-ranked general sire of 2024 in North America, with grade 1 winner Howard Wolowitz being his top earner of last year. Vixen Turns Heads in Sweetest Chant Vixen rebounded from a sixth-place finish in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) with a commanding victory in the $150,000 Sweetest Chant Stakes Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Flanking a pacesetting La Gioconda through brisk early fractions of :23.32 and 47.04, the 8-5 favorite overhauled her rival down the backstretch and uncorked a powerful second wind down the lane as the field closed in. Clear by 2 1/4 lengths at the finish, Vixen ($3.60) stopped the timer in a sharp 1:40.32 for the 1 1/16 miles on a firm turf course. John Velazquez was aboard Vixen for trainer Mark Casse. She became second-crop sire Vekoma's fourth stakes winner of 2025 with her first black-type score. The Spendthrift Farm stallion was the leading first-crop sire of 2024. Ramsey Pond and Correto gave chase but couldn't keep pace with the winner, settling for second and third, respectively. A neck short of being a grade 1 winner in last year's Natalma Stakes (G1T), Vixen registered her second win since breaking her maiden in August at Ellis Park. Campaigned by D. J. Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Vixen was purchased for $200,000 at the 2024 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training from the SGV Thoroughbreds consignment. Charlie's to Blame Takes Kitten's Joy Southern California shipper Charlie's to Blame won the break in the $150,000 Kitten's Joy Stakes, set all the fractions, and gamely held off Maui Strong to win the 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds by a head. Charlie's to Blame, by Claiborne Farm stallion Blame, was coming off a 3 1/2-length maiden win Dec. 1 at Del Mar for trainer Peter Eurton. Ridden by Luis Saez Saturday, Charlie's to Blame took charge through fractions of :23.26, :47.61, and 1:11.27. He put away his first challenger Walking in Memphis at the head of the lane and kicked away, hitting the mile mark in 1:34.42. But he and Saez had to dig deep to hold off the late rally of Maui Strong and Junior Alvarado. Charlie's to Blame hit the wire in 1:40.48 and paid $8.20 to win. Bred in Kentucky by Pope Mclean, Marc Mclean, and Pope McLean Jr., Charlie's to Blame was a $95,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, later reselling for $400,000 at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sales to agent Dennis O'Neill, from the Top Line Sales consignment. Charlie's to Blame races for the partnership of BG Stables, Roadrunner Racing, SAF Racing, West Coast Stables, Barbara Evenson, and Jeffrey Lambert.