Sugar Swirl stormed to victory in the Shirley Jones (Adam Coglianese)

Stronach Stables' homebred SUGAR SWIRL (Touch Gold) recorded her fourth straight stakes win on Saturday when easily drawing off in the $170,000 Shirley Jones H. (G2) at Gulfstream Park. With Javier Castellano in the irons, the Brian Lynch trainee pulled off the hat trick over the track, stringing together victories in the First Lady H. (G3) and Hurricane Bertie H. (G3) prior to this seven-furlong test.

When the gates opened, Shaggy Mane (Bertrando) quickly showed speed to get to the lead but was soon joined by Featherbed (Smart Strike) to her outside. While Sugar Swirl was content to track in the second flight of runners, those two battled it out through splits of :22 1/5 and :44 4/5. As the field entered the turn, the chestnut mare moved up to the outside of Shaggy Mane, Featherbed and Baroness Thatcher (Johannesburg), who had joined the leaders on the backstretch. The eventual winner circled her rivals four wide and easily pulled off in the stretch, stopping the clock in 1:22 2/5 on the fast track.

Sent off the 3-5 favorite, Sugar Swirl was worth $3.40, $2.20 and $2.10 while keying the $12.60 exacta, $34.40 trifecta and $111.80 superfecta (2-5-3-6). Baroness Thatcher was 2 3/4 lengths up on 7-2 second choice Shaggy Mane, paying $3.40 and $2.40 as the 9-2 third pick, and show gave back $2.60. Featherbed edged Dixie Dreamer (Mutakddim) for fourth, while Moon Catcher (Malibu Moon), who was never in contention, rounded out the field in sixth.

Sugar Swirl was good as a four-year-old, finishing in the top three in all but one of her nine starts. Last season she captured the Alyssum S., was second in the Thoroughbred Club of America S. (G3) and Classy Mirage S., and third in the Endine S. (G3) and Yank's Music S. She began her current win streak last fall, taking the Very Subtle S. at Laurel Park by three lengths, but has really blossomed as a five-year-old. With Saturday's winner's share, the blaze-faced chestnut now boasts $681,124 in earnings to go along with a 19-9-3-4 career mark.