Gate To Wire Runs Away with Swale

Gate To Wire (3c Munnings x Sansibar Jewel, by Street Cry) didn’t lead all the way in Saturday’s Swale Stakes like his name implied he may, but it was still a huge run from the colt to win by five lengths.

Making his second start of the year in this seven furlong race, Gate To Wire wasn’t eager to engage in the duel the leaders start, sitting a few lengths behind those runners. He let those runners tire themselves out until he hit the stretch and he got serious about the running.

With Dylan Davis aboard, Gate To Wire took over going into the final furlong and it didn’t take him long to accelerate away. Mucho Music was the only one withing nine lengths of the winner and even he finished five lengths behind.

Trained by Todd Pletcher for Donegal Racing, the Moyglare Stud-bred has finished in the top two in three of his five starts.

The colt is a grandson of Group II winner Irresistible Jewel, who produced his dam’s Group III winning full sister Princess Highway in addition to Group I winner Royal Diamond and Group III winner Mad About You. Both Princess Highway and Mad About You produced stakes winners with Mad About You the dam of Group I winner Mad Cool.

This family also includes Group I winner Homeless Songs and Irish champion Carla Bianca among others.

It’s already been a big year for Munnings, whose four stakes winners is second to only Practical Joke among all North American stallions.