Spot fetches Swale accolades

A notable withdrawal from the Swale was Havana, last year's Champagne winner

and Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up, who was found to be suffering from a

quarter crack Saturday morning.

Runner-up in his debut over Polytrack at Arlington last June, Spot was

unplaced in his next two starts over the Arlington turf and the Keeneland

Polytrack. He finally earned his first win on October 24 against maiden company

at Hawthorne going six furlongs on dirt. He made his three-year-old debut in the

Hutcheson on February 1, finishing eight lengths fifth behind subsequent

Fountain of Youth winner Wildcat Red.

Acquired by owner Joseph Moss from breeder Curtis Green and trainer Jim

DiVito following the Hutcheson, Spot's record now stands at 6-2-1-0, $151,632.

"First, I've got to thank the Lord," Zito said. "Second, I have to thank Mr.

(Joseph) Moss. He's an elderly gentleman who loves this sport. He's just looking

for horses like this. He's been trying for a two years now. We've got to a

couple sales and things haven't worked out. I watched this horse run a month

ago, and I know (owner/breeder) Mr. (Curtis) Green very well. I approached him,

and he said, 'Why not?' Mr. Moss is getting up there in age and has so much

guts, it's amazing.

"I expected improvement. He hadn't run in a while. We got him, and we started

to like him. Sometimes they go to a new place and things change. I got goose

bumps. "I said, 'Havana will keep the field down, let do it.' That's what I did.

I figured he would keep out of trouble, and it worked out perfectly.

"Everybody is saying Kentucky Derby, but I don't know. I wish there were a

mile race here. I'll figure it out. You never know. If he keeps his composure,

because these are real horses."

Bred in Kentucky by Curtis Green, Spot was reared by the Quiet American mare

Quiet Summernight, a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Night in Reno. Spot is

himself a half-brother to stakes winner Quiet All American. Also hailing from

this extended family is the multiple French Group 3 winner Holst.

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