Several years ago, Chris Coyle was raising a young female trotter for Sarah and John Swart Jr. at his Olive Branch Farm. Coyle told them more than once they had a nice-looking filly and he had high hopes for her.
John, who turned 96 in May, used to own Windswept Farm in Virginia, not far from where the couple resides across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., and “Windswept” is frequently included in the names of the couple’s horses.
The nice-looking filly was christened Pride Of Windswept.
It turned out to be an inspired choice.
Pride Of Windswept, now three, has won 13 of 15 career races and never finished worse than second on her way to banking $134,975.
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Last season, the daughter of Charlie De Vie-Sprocket Hanover won both Maryland Sire Stakes finals for two-year-old female trotters, the first at Ocean Downs and the second at Rosecroft Raceway, as well as the Virginia Breeders final at Shenandoah Downs.
On Wednesday, she will attempt to complete another Maryland Sire Stakes sweep at Ocean Downs, where she is the 3-2 morning-line favourite in the $70,000 final for three-year-old female trotters. She won the first $70,000 final of the series on May 23 at Rosecroft.
“It’s turned out to be pretty good,” Sarah Swart said. “She’s done wonderfully well. For my husband, he always wanted to breed a really good trotter. It just means a lot that he’s gotten one that’s done really well after breeding to different sires.
“He’s always looked over the (pedigree) books and all the information, with the help of Chris Coyle and trainers, to pick out what he thought would be a really good horse. I think it’s worked out very well for him.”
Sarah and John have only two horses now, Pride Of Windswept and a yearling three-quarter sister to the filly by Anders Bluestone, but John has bred more than 100 over the years and owned his share of successful horses.
Pride Of Windswept certainly falls into that category. Corey Callahan has driven the filly in most of her starts, including the last 10, for his dad Nick and brother Shaun, who share the training duties.
“I love her,” Corey Callahan said. “She’s just one of those horses that’s fun to drive. She likes her job. She just wants to go out there and race. The only time she can be a little fussy is going to the gate, but she’s perfect in the race. She really likes to race.”
Pride Of Windswept won both her Maryland Sire Stakes finals last year with stakes-record performances, capturing her title at half-mile Ocean Downs in 2:01.1 with driver Montrell Teague and at five-eighths Rosecroft in 1:56.4 with Callahan.
“I don’t think she’s going to embarrass herself after she leaves the Maryland Sire Stakes,” Callahan said. “She likes to win. She’s a classy, sweet, little horse. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of her because I really haven’t had to race her much.”
Pride Of Windswept’s family includes Grand Circuit winners Salutation Hanover and Swift American. Her dam Sprocket Hanover, now 22, earned $173,363 in her racing career.
“Her dam was a nice mare, but she was small,” Callahan said. “We’ve had several of her foals, and she’s done well as a broodmare, but they’ve all been on the smaller side just because she was little herself. But most have been good-gaited and handy. And they’ve all had a lot of try to them. That’s the main thing.”
Callahan credited Frank Gannon III, who works for his dad’s training stable, with helping Pride Of Windswept’s development.
“This is basically his baby,” Callahan said. “He typically sits behind her and takes care of her. He’s been instrumental as well.”
John and Sarah don’t travel much these days, so they haven’t seen Pride Of Windswept race in person, but the couple gets regular reports from Nick Callahan and follow the horse via the Internet.
“We enjoy it,” Sarah said. “Over the years, we’ve cut way down on the horses, so this has been special.”
(USTA)