Swept Overboard Wins a Close One

Those who preferred Swept Overboard over Forest Camp in the $107,200 San Miguel Stakes Saturday at Santa Anita were happy about the outcome.

How Swept Overboard won for the second time in three starts was the surprising part of the Grade III sprint.

Expected to be in front from the outset, the gray son of End Sweep and 19-10 second choice in the field of six 3-year-olds broke slowly, seemingly hurting his chances of beating Del Mar Futurity winner and 7-10 favorite Forest Camp.

However, jockey Eddie Delahoussaye didn’t panic, Swept Overboard relaxed just off the pace, then proved more game than Forest Camp in winning by a nose in 1:08 for the six furlongs.

Trained by John Shirreffs, who won with 30 of his 75 starters in 1999, Swept Overboard was running his first race since an easy maiden victory here on Nov. 8.

“My colt hesitated a little at the start, then [fourth-place finisher Fortifier] came over on us and my colt shied pretty good,” Delahoussaye said. “He had never been behind horses like that before in a race. But he was game. John’s done a great job with him.”

Forest Camp, who has lost three in a row since beginning his career with two impressive victories, finished nearly three lengths in front of 6-1 third-choice Joopy Doopy. Then came Fortifier, Archer City Slew and Remember Sheikh.

“Both of them finished very strongly,” said Chris McCarron, who rode Forest Camp for the first time for trainer Bob Baffert. “It was a huge effort by both, and it’s a shame one of them had to be second.”

Shirreffs didn’t indicate what will be next for Swept Overboard while Baffert said Forest Camp will return in the seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes on Feb. 5, a race the trainer won with Exploit last year and Silver Charm in 1997.

Horse Racing Notes

Horse Chestnut made a successful U.S. debut Saturday, easily winning the $100,000 Broward Handicap at Gulfstream Park. Ridden by Mike Smith, Horse Chestnut--a 5-year-old bred in South Africa--won for the ninth time in 10 starts. He returned $6.40 and covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 3/5. Isaypete was second, 5 1/2 lengths behind the winner, and 13-10 favorite Rock And Roll was third. Horse Chestnut will make his next start in the Donn Handicap on Feb. 5 at Gulfstream. . . . Surfside is expected to have a big campaign in 2000 for owner Bill Young’s Overbrook Farm and trainer Wayne Lukas, and the well-bred filly is expected to start with a victory in the $100,000-added Santa Ysabel Stakes today at Santa Anita. Three weeks after a seven-length win in the Hollywood Starlet, Surfside is the 1-5 favorite against four opponents in the Santa Ysabel--a Grade III race that will be run at 1 1/16 miles. Pat Day will ride the 123-pound highweight. The other entrants are Trust Your Heart, She’s Classy, Rings A Chime and Penny Blues. . . . Ray York, 66, will become the first jockey to ride in seven decades with his mount on Culebra Thursday at Santa Anita. York, who has 3,082 victories and won the 1954 Kentucky Derby on Determine, last rode in an official race in 1992 at Bay Meadows.