Facing graded stakes horses in her stakes debut, APROPOS closed to earn the runner-up spot in the six-furlong Roxelana S. at Churchill Downs. The 4-year-old filly by FIRST SAMURAIbumped with another on the turn, then swung five wide at the top of the stretch and finished well. The Claiborne Farm and Adele B. Dilschneider homebred has won three out of five career starts and placed in the other two, including a seven-furlong allowance win here in May in her last start. Earlier in the year, after being boxed in on the turn, APROPOS ran away from the field to score by 10 1/4 lengths at Oaklawn Park. In that six-furlong allowance, she ran a 101 Beyer. She is out of Apt, by A.P. Indy.
A multiple graded stakes winner already this year, SWIFT WARRIOR battled gamely to place in the Colonial Turf Cup S.-G2. Disputing the pace with another in this 1 3/16-mile event, the 5-year-old son of FIRST SAMURAI disposed of that one as they turned for home. He opened up by 3 1/2 lengths in midstretch, but then was caught in the very late stages of the race. Earlier in the year, SWIFT WARRIOR won back-to-back graded stakes, taking Sam Houston’s John B. Connally Turf Cup S.-G3 and the Tampa Bay S.-G3. He has won or placed in 16 of 22 starts and earned over $462,000.