Caramel Swirl leaves G3 Vagrancy rivals in a spin

G1-placed sprinter Caramel Swirl bounced back from a surprise defeat on her seasonal return with a dominant win in the G3 Vagrancy Stakes at Belmont Park, USA, on Sunday, 14 May.

The five-year-old won the G2 Raven Run Stakes in 2021 and was runner-up to Goodnight Olive in last season’s G1 Ballerina Handicap, but could only finish fourth on her first outing of the year in a Tampa Bay Downs Stakes race in February.

After breaking on terms, Caramel Swirl tracked the early pace before being restrained towards the rear of a tightly bunched field by Junior Alvarado.The Bill Mott-trained mare was switched out at the top of the straight and powered home, picking off Rossa Veloce approaching the final half-furlong before coasting home for an easy two and a half-length victory.

Bill Mott said: “We would have run Caramel Swirl sooner but she had a little abscess in a hind foot and we had to give her some time. She ran really well fresh today and Junior [Alvarado] did a good job – he let her settle and she makes a nice run when you let her get her feet under.”