Undefeated Riker Reigns in Swynford

Tucci Stables' Riker picked up his third win in as many starts Sept. 5,when the son of Include   cruised to a front-end win over four other juveniles in the $125,000 Swynford Stakes on the Woodbine Polytrack.

Riker, favored at 3-5, secured his second straight stakes victory at Woodbine, as he cruised through the opening quarter-mile in :24.32 and a half-mile in :47.36, enjoying a clear advantage at every point of call under jockey Jessie Campbell. In the turn, second-choice in the field Tizzarunner launched a three-wide move, but coming out of the turn, Riker flashed another gear and wasn't seriously threatened.

"Well, he's a smart 2-year-old to begin with," said Campbell, who has been aboard for all three outings. "That's probably more than half the battle and he's got a lot of talent to bring with it. Put the two together and this is what we're getting.  

"Really, there wasn't much of a plan. When he popped out of there, the first quarter was pretty easy. This horse does not have to be on the lead, believe me. I'm not concerned about his running style at all."

Riker, who won the Colin Stakes July 25 at Woodbine, completed the seven-furlong Synford in 1:23.39 for winning trainer Nicholas Gonzalez. John Oxley's Tizzarunner, who was third in the Colin, finished 2 1/2 lengths back in second, followed by Majestic Slew.

"(Owners Carlo and Lou Tucci) make (my wife) Martha's and my job very easy," Gonzalez said. "They take their bad pills along with the good ones and here we are enjoying a good one. He was always a precocious baby when we bought him at the sale. But as we trained him and breezed him and watched him gallop out, Jesse emphasized the fact he's just not a one-dimensional speed horse. If and when the time comes when we've got to do something else, I'm confident we can."

Riker returned $3.40, $2.40, and $2.10 across the board, while Tizzarunner returned $2.60 and $2.10. Majestic Slew paid $2.40 to show.

Bred in Kentucky by Turner Breeders, Riker is out of the winning Unreal Zeal mare Desviacion, who also has produced grade III winner and sire Cashel Castle (Silver Ghost). Riker was purchased for $60,000 at this year's Ocala Breeders Sales Co. spring sale of 2-year-olds in training by Hidden Brook, agent, from the Paul Sharp consignment.