Sweet Rebecca rides the rail in the Sand Springs, Coglianese Photo
Gulfstream Park Press
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Resolute Racing’s Sweet Rebecca ($5.40) found an opening along the inside at the top of the stretch and powered through the lane, holding off a late run from Hang to the Moon to win the $175,000 Sand Springs presented by MyRacehorse for older fillies and mares by neck.
Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Sweet Rebecca covered 7 ½ furlongs over a firm turf course in 1:39.81 to give trainer Brendan Walsh his second stakes win of the day following Immortalised in the $175,000 Cutler Bay, also on the grass.
Sweet Rebecca settled in third along the rail as Silver Moonlight, third by a length last out in the one-mile Honey Fox (G3), led a field of 10 through splits of 23.66 and 47.11 seconds, pressed to her outside by 2025 Ontario Colleen (G3) winner Candy Quest. Gaffalione stayed patient inside and had plenty of room to slip through turning for home, closing stoutly for her second straight win at the Championship Meet.
“Everything kind of went to plan,” Gaffalione said. “Brendan said to let her break out of there and let her get some forward position. The two other horses were keen to go forward so I just put my hands down. She was a little reluctant to relax but she came back to me and I was sitting on her just waiting for the spot. When it happened up she didn’t hesitate. I was trying to be patient on her. I had a lot of horse, so I was just trying to work out a trip and not do anything drastic and when the spot opened she fired right through.”
Two-time Grade 2 winner Hang the Moon held second over another late finisher, Maggie Go. Queens Command, sent off at 50-1, finished fourth followed by Olivia Valentina, Yes It Tiz, Silver Moonlight, Ashima, Candy Quest and Fantasy Performer. Miss Mary Nell was scratched.
