In the Aftermath of a Tragedy, a ‘TDN Rising Star’ Comforts a Family

[Wandering Eyes]

Under normal circumstances, Reagan Swinback would have been at Saratoga July 10 to watch his filly Cy Fair (Not This Time) debut in a Saratoga maiden turf sprint. Swinback had been receiving nothing but good reports from trainer George Weaver, and those reports proved to be accurate. Cy Fair won the race by 3 1/4 lengths, enough to be named a 'TDN Rising Star.'

But Swinback couldn't be there as his week was largely taken up by attending funerals. They were for the 27 campers and counselors who were killed by the flooding that ravaged their summer camp, Camp Mystic. Swinback's 15-year-old daughter Ashley was there, but made it out alive. His 12-year-old son Harvey attended a different camp, La Junta. It, too, was badly flooded, but no one died there.

“The girls that lost their lives at Camp Mystic were the younger girls, and they stay in cabins on the flats,” Swinback said. “The older girls stay in cabins on the hill, which is appropriately named. So Ashley was never in direct danger, but at daylight she saw the devastation firsthand.”

When asked how Ashley was holding up, Swinback said, “Not great. She's 15 and a mature 15. Her questions are more holistic. Why would God do this? We had chapel that night, so it's more adult-like questions.”

His son was also shaken up.

“When I drove them home on July 5th, it was pouring rain, and [Harvey] said to me from the backseat, 'Dad, just make it stop raining.' Oh, you just cry your eyes out. I just said, 'I'm going to drive you home safe. I can't make it stop raining, buddy, but I'm going to get you home safe.' So as an immature 12-year-old boy and a mature 15-year-old girl, they're handling it differently as you would expect, but every day is better. The funerals are brutal, but they do provide some closure. And as a community, we are getting through it.

“They're just kids. And they saw life-and-death situations that no one should ever have to see, let alone children.”

On the same day as the floods, Cy Fair worked four furlongs on the turf training track at Saratoga in :50.92. Weaver had put the finishing touches on the filly and had her ready to go for her debut. The hope was that she could live up to expectations when Swinback paid $185,000 for her at this year's OBS April sale.

There's nothing that can cure the hurt and devastation felt by the Swinback family. Then again, never underestimate the power of a racehorse to brighten someone's day.

Swinback doesn't claim to be an expert when it comes to pedigree and conformations, so he relies on others, including Jake Ballis, to pick out his horses.

“So, I've known Jake since we were 10 years old, and I've kind of followed along with what Jake and his wife Maddie dictate,” Swinback said. “They say we should buy the horse, we buy it. I don't provide that much input, other than if the price gets too high.”

The name comes from the community where the Swinbacks live.

“Cy Fair is short for Cypress Fairbanks, which is a part a Houston where I'm from,” Swinback said. “And my mom is from Cypress Fairbanks, and all her family is from Cypress Fairbanks. The local high school is called Cy Fair. My mom went to Cy Fair.”

So, six days after the flood, Cy Fair comes out and runs like a future star. That didn't heal all the pain, but it helped the Swinback family forget their problems, even if it was for a short while.

“We really needed a smile, and horse racing is a tough game,” Swinback said. “I've been in it for five years now, and I know how tough it is. But the highs of horse racing are very, very high. And when that horse broke and got to the front and went on to win, my family smiled for a couple hours. We high-fived and we hugged and we talked to George Weaver. I had 85 texts and tweets. There was some hugging and crying and some happy tears after a week of sad tears.”

Swinback is confident Cy Fair will bring many more joyous moments to his family.

“Yeah, we're very excited about her,” he said. “I mean, she came out with an 80 Beyer speed figure. Her Ragozin and Thoro-Graph numbers were also very impressive. It's hard to win by 3 1/4 lengths in a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint. And she did, so we are so excited. Her pedigree is great. And so far as George Weaver goes, we trust he's very, very good with turf horses, especially young ones. We just can't wait to see what we can accomplish with her.”

But even if Cy Fair does not turn out to be a star, the filly will have already done enough. To a family that needed it badly, Cy Fair sprinkled some happiness into their lives.

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