By Mike Kane
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With majority owner Alex Bregman in Seattle for the Houston Astros' game against the Mariners, his partner, Reagan Swinbank, took care of the winner's circle duties Friday at Saratoga Race Course following Governor Sam's (Improbable) impressive maiden-breaking victory.
Swinbank said he jumped at the opportunity to buy an interest in the colt purchased by the MLB star's Bregman Family Racing LLC for $275,000 at the OBS April sale of 2-year-olds.
“We invested based on Alex and his team's opinion,” Swinbank said.
Swinback recalls the analysis of Governor Sam to be to the point: “He's going to be fast and early.”
Making his second career start for trainer George Weaver, Governor Sam led from gate to wire under Irad Ortiz Jr. in the 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight turf race for 2-year-olds. Governor Sam quickly responded to mild challenges high in the stretch and won by 2 1/4 lengths over Test Score (Lookin at Lucky) in 1:02.41. The 3-5 favorite paid $3.30 to win the first race of the day.
Swinbank is from Houston, is friends with Bregman and has been a partner in some other Bregman horses. The connection is Jake BallIs, who operates Black Type Thoroughbreds in Lexington, Ky. with his wife Maddie Mattmiller.
“[Ballis] is one of my childhood best friends and my racing manager and agent,” Swinbank said. “He said, 'Hey, you guys want to partner on this horse?' And I said, 'Let's do it.'
The original goal for Governor Sam was win the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes on May 11 at Gulfstream Park and earn a berth in the Norfolk Stakes at the Royal Ascot meeting. He pressed the pace in the Royal Palm and finished sixth, three lengths behind Gabaldon (Gone Astray).
“We rushed him into the race and he handled it fine,” Weaver said. “I told Alex and Reagan after the race, 'let's just take our time, get some gas back in the tank and lead him over there fresh to Saratoga,' “We thought he'd be pretty live and he was. He ran well today.”
Governor Sam broke sharply from the inside post got the first quarter in :21.99, had a one-length after three-eighths and spurted away to a four-length advantage when Ortiz asked him for more. Bred by Stoneriggs Farm, he is the second winner this week by the late freshman sire.
Last year, Weaver won the male and female divisions of the Royal Ascot qualifiers at Gulfstream Park. Black Type was a partner in Crimson Advocate (Nyquist), who won the Juvenile Fillies and Ascot's Queen Mary. She is now owned by Wathnan Racing and is trained in England by John and Thady Gosden. Bregman was the principal in the colt No Nay Mets (No Nay Never), who was ninth in the Norfolk.
Swinbank's first venture into ownership was with BallIs on Join in the Dance (Sky Mesa), who was seventh in the 2009 GI Kentucky Derby. After a hiatus of several years, Swinbank said he came back into racing five years ago with Black Type. He now operates as Swinbank Stable.
Bregman's family has been connected to racing for decades. He began buying horses in 2021. BallIs and Mattmiller have been on his team.
“We worked the 2-year-old sales, my wife and I, and we partnered up with Alex Bregman on several other horses,” BallIs said. (Governor Sam) ended up on our list of horses that we shortlisted. I talked with George and when Alex bought it, I just called Alex and I said, 'Hey, was there a chance that Reagan can buy into this horse? I represent Reagan in buying into partnerships with Black Type Thoroughbreds. Reagan wants to do this on this on his own.' I advised him to go ahead and partner with Alex.”
BallIs said Governor Sam worked well at OBS and was purchased for the Royal Palm race.
“We really want to go back to Royal Ascot and Alex Bregman wants to get another horse there. That was the goal.” BallIs said. “We chased that really, really fast horse of (Jose) d'Angelo's all the way around. When that didn't pan out we sent him up here. We knew we were going to point for one of these races and it all worked out.”
1st-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 7-19, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.41, fm, 2 1/4 lengths.
GOVERNOR SAM (c, 2, Improbable–I'm Betty G {MSW & MGSP, $353,100}, by Into Mischief) ran sixth in the same race which yielded eventual Listed Windsor Castle Stakes runner-up Gabaldon (Gone Astray) via a gate to wire trip–the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes May 11–and took a page from that runner's notes here with a frontrunning score on Friday.
Putting up fractions of :21.99 and :45.14 early in this second jump as the 3-5 favorite, Governor Sam rebroke when they hit midstretch and quickly put open air on his rivals. Longshot Test Score (Lookin At Lucky) tried to close the distance but was beaten 2 1/4 lengths on the line at 15-1 odds. Governor Sam is his late sire (by City Zip)'s second winner.
A half-brother to GIII Regret Stakes victress Pin Up Betty (Constitution), $349,365, the winner is the most recent to the races for his dam, who has a City of Light yearling filly. Her 2024 Jackie's Warrior foal died. Sales history: $50,000 Ylg '23 FTKOCT; $275,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $57,850. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Bregman Family Racing LLC and Swinbank Stables, LLC; B-Stoneriggs Farm (KY); T-George Weaver.
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