Three Rules Being Considered for Swale Stakes

Multiple stakes winner Three Rules, who suffered his first loss in six starts in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) Nov. 5, may kick off his 3-year-old season in the $200,000 Swale Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 4 at Gulfstream Park.

Trainer Jose Pinchin said the Gone Astray   colt resumed galloping over the weekend as he slowly works back from short break following the Juvenile, where he forced the pace before tiring to sixth.

"He's doing good, very good. He's been galloping about (five) days now," Pinchin said. "He's had a good year and he deserved some rest. He'll probably run back in the Swale or something like that."

Three Rules would cut back to seven furlongs for the Swale off back to back efforts going 1 1/16 miles including a 10-length romp in the In Reality Stakes, giving him a sweep of the Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds.

In all, Three Rules won his first five starts by 31 lengths combined. His only other try at seven furlongs was a 5 1/2-length victory in the Affirmed Stakes.

"He has put his weight back on and he looks good," Pinchin said. "We'll just wait until he tells me he's ready to work again. He's not that far off. He hasn't lost his condition. He's fit."

Pinchin decided to pass on Saturday's stakes with multiple stakes-placed gelding Front Loaded, second to his stablemate in the Affirmed. Front Loaded was nominated to both the six-furlong Buffalo Man on dirt and the one-mile Pulpit on turf.

"He just went back to the track (Tuesday)," he said. "We gave him a little break, too. He'll be back in another six or seven weeks. He has his a-other-than and all those conditions. He's got a lot of options."