Chester Broman's Sand Devil improved the unbeaten streak to start to his career to three races with a neck victory in the $121,250 Damon Runyon Stakes Feb. 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Sand Devil, who won his first two starts by a combined 16 1/2 lengths, was bet to 1-5 favoritism in the Runyon, for New York-bred 3-year-olds going seven furlongs. But after setting a slow pace of :24.52 and :48.58, the Violence colt had to work hard to fend off a challenge from Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's National Identity, who stalked him from the outset.
With Sand Devil on the inside, the pair hit the six-furlong mark in 1:12.39. National Identity poked his head in front briefly, but Sand Devil battled back to gamely to regain the edge. His final time over the dirt track rated fast was 1:24.66. While the pace was slow, he ran his final three furlongs in a solid :36.08.
It was 8 1/2 lengths back to third-place Soontobeking, and the winner's final time was almost two seconds faster than New York-bred 3-year-old fillies ran the same distance a race later in the East View Stakes (1:26.35).
Trainer Linda Rice was not enamored with the ride from Jose Lezcano on the winner, who paid $2.40.
"They went slow early and sprinted home fast. I thought (Jose) gave away his advantage around the turn. I thought that was a mistake and let's not do that next time," Rice said. "Today was the first time he had a tussle. He dug it out. That other horse can run a little bit but, like I said, they went slow early and sprinted home, and it was a strategic mistake for Jose to give that horse a chance to get head-and-head. He'd already had an advantage, and he should have used it, but we got to the winner's circle and move forward."
When asked if Sand Devil would join the Triple Crown trail and run in the March 1 $300,000 Gotham Stakes (G3), a one-turn mile at Aqueduct offering 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points, Rice replied, "definitely."
"He didn't come to me until Saratoga in July and he was far away from racing at that point. It just took a while to get him to the races, but he started showing himself last fall to be a horse with some talent," Rice said.
Bred by Broman, Sand Devil is a half to New York-bred stakes winner Can You Diggit, who earned $436,555 in a 20-race career. Broman lost his wife Mary last October at age 88. One of the top breeders in New York, Broman has made it a goal to have a horse in the Kentucky Derby.
Lezcano was complimentary of the effort from Sand Devil.
"My horse is a big horse and he isn't that quick when you ask him—it takes him a couple strides to get into full stride, so this is why the other horse come very close to him," Lezcano said. "He kept responding every stride I asked him to. My horse had the advantage today, but still my horse had (to put up a good performance) to win. Every race, he improves more and more. Today, he showed up and he is a good horse."
