Swayin to and Fro Swings Win in Willa On the Move

Photo by Jim McCue/MJC

David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club

LAUREL, Md. – Baxter Racing Stables sway back and forth shook himself out of a front running duel with fellow multi-stakes winner Dontletsweetfoolya and opened up through the lane under a hand ride from jockey Grant Whitacre to ride to a 6 ½ long win in the $100,000 Willa On the Move.

Coached by Mario Serey Jr., Swayin to and Fro ($6) ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:17.59 over a fast main course for her eighth career win, her third in a match and her second straight after the seven furlong Safely Kept on November 26 at Laurel.

Dontletsweetfoolya broke out sharply and found herself in an early lead, quickly linked back and forth with her by Swayin as she went back-to-back with Fouette and Fille d’Esprit, the 6-5 favorite, through split times of 23, 01 and 46.70 seconds racing win stakes and give the closest pursuit.

Back and forth Swayin rounded the back corner by a short margin and rolled through the track to outpace her rivals under confident handling from Whitacre. Dontletsweetfoolya stayed second, two lengths ahead of Fouette. It was 2 ¼ lengths back to Fille d’Esprit in fourth place.

Judge number four, Movie Moxy and Flashy Charge completed the finish order. Moody Woman and Union Lake were scratched.

Serey challenged Swayin back and forth for $16,000 from an 8 ¼ long first win on May 26th at the historic Pimlico Race Course. The second Straight Talking daughter then went on to have four straight wins before claiming her first stakes win at Shine Again on September 10th. Swayin back and forth last caught a three-race losing streak in Safely Keep.

“Mario was a longtime coach for me at Parx,” said co-owner Kirkland Taylor. “We saw this horse and said, ‘Mario, look at this horse. We really want to claim this horse as our own.” When we called him and asked how the horse looked, he said, “This horse looks good. We should take it’ and we followed Mario. From day 1 everything revolves around Mario. He makes the right moves with this horse and we are just happy for him.”

Willa On the Move was a Maryland-bred daughter of Assert (IRE) who competed in 12 races and won five stakes as a 3-year-old in 1988, including Marshua and Gay Matelda at Laurel Park and Moccasin and Caesar’s Wish at Pimlico. From there she won the Ashland (G1), finished third in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Alabama (G1), and second in the Gazelle (G1) and Spinster (G1) before retiring at the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). .