Scarlet Sands (#4) battles Crafty Collector (#1) for the win. (Ryan Thompson)
3YO Filly Captures Stakes and Tapeta Debut Saturday at Gulfstream
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Raleigh Racing Stable’s Scarlet Sands, trying stakes company and synthetic for the first time, led from start to finish and held off a late flourish from Crafty Collector to extend her win streak to three races with a popular neck triumph in Saturday’s $75,000 Miss Gracie for 3-year-old fillies at Gulfstream Park.
Ridden by Edwin Gonzalez for trainer Carlos David, who claimed the daughter of Omaha Beach for $75,000 in February, Scarlet Sands ($3) completed one mile and 70 yards in 1:40.49 over the all-weather Tapeta course.
Having made six of her seven starts on the grass, the last five going a mile, Scarlet Sands broke alertly and immediately established a forward position with mild pressure to her outside from Special Aviator, winner of last fall’s Our Dear Peggy on the Gulfstream turf.
After an opening quarter mile in 23.87 seconds, Scarlet Sands continued to keep Special Aviator at bay through a half in 46.51 and straightened for home in command as Annie Goodbody and Crafty Collector, racing from off the pace, began to launch their bids.
“She came away from there really good. I knew somebody was going to come after her. [Special Aviator] did a little bit, but it wasn’t too bad. She was able to put her away around the far turn, so it worked out good,” David said.
“I was surprised. I was thinking [Crafty Collector] was going to go because [jockey Jose] Ferrer, he’s a fast rider and he had the rail, but he was patient,” he added. “He came back at the end and almost beat me. That was a great ride by him, and I was happy to get the win.”
Scarlet Sands dug in through the lane and had enough left to turn back fast-closing Crafty Collector, with Special Aviator third followed by Annie Goodbody and 23-1 longshot Oxar. Olivia Valentina, third in Gulfstream’s June 7 Martha Washington on the grass, was scratched.
“I told Edwin, ‘Don’t take anything away from her.’ There was no speed, so I didn’t want him to start riding her and then fighting her trying to get position because she’d just get tired,” David said. “I said to just let her do her thing, let her run free and whenever she wants to grab the lead, go ahead, and let her be comfortable.”
David opted to stay home with Scarlet Sands rather than ship to Saratoga for Saturday’s Lake George (G3), contested around two turns on the grass. The race was won in a photo by Daisy Flyer, racing for the first time since finishing third by a neck in the one mile Herecomesthebride (G3) March 1 at Gulfstream.
“I was watching the Grade 3 at Saratoga and thinking, ‘Man, I should have been in that race,’ but those horses are all running 80s [speed figures] and you have to try and get the horse there,” David said. “We did the right thing. We got her the black type here and we’ll move forward. Maybe we’ll look at something up north. Maybe we try the [one-mile Lake Placid (G2) Aug. 23]. We’d have to face the winner of that race in Saratoga today. If [Scarlet Sands] comes out of the race in good shape, we’ll look for something in Saratoga.”
