Currency Swap remains undefeated in New York
Saturday, May 12, 2012
High Cotton's 3-year-old son Currency Swap scored a measured three-quarter length victory in the $85,000 You and I S. Saturday at Belmont Park to run his record to a perfect three-for-three at New York tracks. Last year at Saratoga he broke his maiden in his debut then took the Grade 1 Hopeful S., helping to make High Cotton a top-10 first crop sire of 2011.

After breaking on top in the seven furlong You and I, Currency swap set moderate fractions to be up a length after a half-mile in :47.16. He pulled away by some three lengths in mid-stretch, then was ridden confidently by Rajiv Maragh to get the distance in a solid 1:22.43 on a fast track.

“When I saw him on the overnight, I was really excited,” said Maragh, who rode the colt in his Hopeful triumph, a race in which eventual Kentucky Derby (G1) winner I’ll Have Another ran sixth. “He’s a really talented horse. I got a good draw on the outside, so I had a shot to break and see what was happening. It didn’t seem like the pace was developing fast, so I kind of just took advantage of that and stayed close and he finished strong. He kept on going – it definitely was not the end of his run at the wire. He had more left.”  

Owned by Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence and trained by Teresa Pompay, Currency Swap is now 3-1-0 in five starts, earning $248,300.

Pompay said the $400,000 Wood Stephens (G2), June 9 at Belmont Park, is the next likely start.

“I talked to the owners and we wanted to win this and thinking maybe the Woody Stephens and then maybe later in the year trying to stretch him back out and see if he can do it,” said Pompay. “But we want to keep his confidence up and give him a few good races in a row where we know he can be.”

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