A sharp break from post 1 helped Swingin Daddyo score his first stakes victory in Saturday’s Grade 1, 440-yard Rainbow Derby at Ruidoso Downs.

Ridden by Cody Wainscott for owner Debra M. Gotovac of Midland, Texas, Swingin Daddyo covered his quarter-mile trip in :21.205 against a 10-mph head wind on a muddy track. The gelding led at every call, and his margin of victory was a half of a length from Smokey Stone. First Klas Fred, last year’s AQHA champion 2-year-old gelding, finished third, three-quarters of a length behind the winner.

“He’s really a neat horse,” said Brad Bolen, who trains the sorrel son of Agouti. “He’s just a big goof who loves to eat his peppermint (treats). He’ll always have the slowest time when we work him in the morning, but he’s a gamer when he races.”

The $436,721 winner’s share of the stakes-record $873,441 Rainbow Derby purse pushed Swingin Daddyo’s earnings to $700,477. The gelding was bred in Oklahoma by MLA International Co., the sport’s champion breeder in 2007, and he became the fifth stakes winner from 118 starters sired by Agouti, a son of the Holland Ease stallion Corona Cartel.

Now 11, Agouti won the ’02 Southern California Derby (G1) and ran second in Miami Cartel’s Los Alamitos Derby (G1). Bred in California by Joe Bettencourt, the stallion has sired the earners of more than $2.4 million from four crops, with Swingin Daddyo representing his top earner to date. He stands for a $2,000 fee at Dr. Larry Findley’s Delta Equine Center at Vinton, Louisiana.

Swingin Daddyo is also five winners from six starters produced by Swingin Otoole, a 14-year-old daughter of Jody O Toole who won the 1998 TQHA Sires’ Cup Futurity (RG2) at Sam Houston Race Park. Swingin Otoole’s runners include Swingin N Ease, a gelding by Holland Ease who won the 2008 Firecracker Futurity (G1) at Delta Downs, and Swingin Jess, a colt by Mr Jess Perry who won three Grade 1 stakes from 2007-08, including the ’07 Manor Downs (G1) and Retama Park (G1) futurities.

Swingin Otoole’s half brother, the Dashing Val gelding Swingin Val, won four stakes from 1996-2000, including the ’96 Rainbow Futurity (G1), and he was a finalist in that season’s All American (G1) and Texas Classic (G1) futurities.

Swingin Daddyo traces back to his fourth dam, the winning Easy Jet mare Miss Easy Swing. A 1972 foal, Miss Easy Swing produced Ahdos Bug, a filly by Go For Bugs who won the 1989 All American Sale Futurity (RG3) at Sunland Park, and Kiss A Toad, a filly by Bugs Alive In 75 who ran second in the 1980 Oklahoma Futurity at La Mesa Park in Raton, New Mexico.

A winner of four of 20 races, Swingin Daddyo ran second to Double Down Special in the June 12, $568,965 Ruidoso Derby (G1). He also finished third in last year’s $163,090 Hialeah Laddie Futurity at Hialeah Park, and he was a finalist in three Grade 1 futurities, including the $2-million All American Futurity (G1).

Also, Swingin Daddyo broke Lone Star Park’s 400-yard track record on October 10, when the gelding won a Dash For Cash Futurity (G1) trial by one length in :19.452.

Sir Seth ran fourth and was followed by Favorite Cartel, fastest qualifier and 2-1 favorite Love Samba, Plain Azoom, Hoponthewagon, Streakin Down, and Jess So Sixy.

Smokey Stone banked $139,751 to boost his earnings to $203,074 for his owners, John May and Doug May. The colt by A Regal Choice ran fourth in the Ruidoso Derby and was a finalist in last year’s Hobbs America Futurity (G3) at Zia Park.

A gelding by champion Fredricksburg, First Klas Fred is campaigned by Denis and Julie Schoenhofer. A winner of four of 13 races, including last year’s Ruidoso (G1) and Hobbs America (G3) futurities, First Klas Fred has earned $515,907.