Sand Devil adds another win to his unblemished resume (NYRA/Coglianese)
Christian Abdo/NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Chester Broman, Sr.’s homebred Sand Devil showed grit to outlast National Identity and improve to 3-for-3 while securing his first stakes victory in Saturday’s $125,000 Damon Runyon, a seven-furlong sprint for New York-bred sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by the current meet-leader Linda Rice, the Violence chestnut has earned his trio of wins under Jose Lezcano and versus fellow state-breds here, with Saturday’s neck score being his toughest test to date. He entered from a 12 1/2-length one-turn mile optional claimer romp on January 2 after a comfortable debut graduation sprinting six furlongs in December.
“Today was the first time he had a tussle. He dug it out,” said Rice, adding that it was a little too close for comfort. “I was just telling Jose that I thought he should have opened up in the middle of the turn. They went slow early and sprinted home fast. I thought he gave away his advantage around the turn. I thought that was a mistake and let’s not do that next time.”
Sand Devil broke alertly from post 3 and quickly overtook the sharp-starting National Identity, to hold a narrow lead over that rival through an opening quarter-mile in 24.52 seconds on the fast dirt.
“Today, we go slow and the horses sprinted hard home. 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 of the tepid early fractions.
Sand Devil kept a half-length lead over the Kendrick Carmouche-piloted National Identity to his outside down the backside and entering the far turn, followed by Fireballin along the rail, with Rice trainee Just Licorice and multiple stakes-placed Soontobeking also in close pursuit through a half-mile in 48.58.
Sand Devil and National Identity continued to duel through the turn, and it was becoming a two-horse race as the pair hit the top of the lane with 4 1/2 lengths back to the rest of the compact field.
National Identity was in a similar position last out in the $500,000 NYSSS Great White Way on December 14 here, where he was never able to go by the unbeaten Sacrosanct, but Saturday he had a head in front of Sand Devil following three-quarters in 1:12.39.
Sand Devil battled back to the inside of National Identity, fighting gamely as the pair clashed in the final furlong. Sand Devil re-claimed the lead nearing the sixteenth pole, crossing the wire a neck in front in a final time of 1:24.66.
SAND DEVIL digs in and stays undefeated! He battles to victory in the Damon Runyon Stakes, making him a perfect 3-for-3, with Jose Lezcano up for @LindaRiceRacing. pic.twitter.com/OyufbT2fP7
— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) February 8, 2025
Soontobeking finished third 8 1/2 lengths back, with Fireballin rounding out the superfecta. Just Licorice completed the order of finish.
“He kept responding every stride I asked him to,” Lezcano said. “Every race, he improves more and more. Today, he showed up and he is a good horse.”
Rice said a probable next start for Sand Devil is the local Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, a one-turn mile for sophomores that awards 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, on March 1.
Sand Devil was nominated early to the Triple Crown and Rice said he has always shown talent.
“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,” said Rice.
Carmouche, also aboard for the NYSSS Great White Way, said the Danny Gargan-trained National Identity was game in another close defeat to an undefeated rival.
“The horse ran very well and was second best today. I thought he ran better than last time and hopefully we can keep moving forward,” Carmouche said. “They went pretty easy and he left me in the race enough to fight at the end. I thought my horse did everything perfect today to be successful, but he was just second best.”
Bred by Chester and the late Mary Broman, Sand Devil is out of multiple stakes-winning Mineshaft mare Mineralogist. His second dam is the graded stakes-winning New York-bred Seeking the Ante. He banked $68,750 in victory and returned $2.40 for a $2 win bet as the post-time favorite.
Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with an eight-race program. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
