Sand Devil fends off National Identity to stay unbeaten in Saturday’s Damon Runyon at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo.

By Paul Halloran

It wasn’t nearly as easy as his first two starts or the tote board indicated it would be, but Sand Devil dug in down the stretch Saturday at Aqueduct to take the Damon Runyon Stakes and remain undefeated.

The Chester and Mary Broman homebred outlasted a game National Identity to win the New York-bred stakes 3-year-olds by a neck, a margin trainer Linda Rice thought was closer than necessary.

“I thought he should have opened up in the middle of the turn,” Rice said of jockey Jose Lezcano. “They went slow down the backside and we were inside the other speed horse. It is what it is. I thought he should have opened up more. He gave the other horse too much of a chance.”

A son of Violence out of the Bromans’ homebred Mineshaft mare Mineralogist, Sand Devil didn’t have to work too hard to get to the lead in the 7-furlong stakes. National Identity broke first, but Lezcano came up the rail to take the advantage heading into the turn through a quarter-mile in :24.52 and a half in :48.58.

He maintained a three-quarter-length advantage around the turn, but never extended it, as Rice would have preferred. National Identity almost pulled even at the eighth pole and, after Sand Devil regained some breathing room, came running again but couldn’t catch the winner. The final time was 1:24.66.

“Today was the first time he had a tussle and he dug it out,” Rice said. “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 we move forward.”

Sand Devil, who doesn’t actually turn 3 until February 15, is the fifth foal out of Mineralogist, a multiple stakes winner out of the graded stakes-winning and New York-bred champion Seeking the Gold mare Seeking the Ante. Mineralogist’s most productive progeny to date is the Broman homebred Can You Diggit, a stakes winner by Tiznow who banked $436,555 in a 20-race career. Pretty Clever, a daughter of Hard Spun, earned $179,480.

“The other horse gave me a good run, but my horse is very nice,” Lezcano said. “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. 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.”

Sand Devil arrived in Rice’s barn at Saratoga in July after a few setbacks. She said that within a few months he started to show some talent, but she took her time with him. He broke his maiden December 8 and followed that with a 12 1/2-length allowance score January 2, earning a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

Rice considered running in the Withers Stakes February 1, but opted to keep the colt in state-bred company and sprinting for one more start. Open company awaits, however, with the Gotham Stakes March 1, a 50-point Kentucky Derby prep race, a definite possibility, according to Rice.

Spirit of St Louis joins elite company as the latest New York-bred Grade 1 winner and millionaire in Saturday’s Pegasus World Cup Turf. Coglianese Photo/Ryan Thompson.

Chad Brown sent Spirit of St Louis to Kentucky last fall convinced the New York-bred gelding could not only fit in but potentially win a Grade 1.

That didn’t work out for the son Medaglia d’Oro, who endured a troubled trip and finished fifth behind his accomplished stablemate Carl Spackler and eventual Breeders’ Cup Mile winner More Than Looks in the Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland. Brown didn’t throw in the towel and gave Spirit of St Louis another try at the top level and this time came away with a victory in Saturday’s $984,000 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes presented by Qatar Racing at Gulfstream Park.

Under Tyler Gaffalione, Spirit of St Louis won the 9-furlong Pegasus Turf by a neck over Integration for Brown and owners Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Richard Schermerhorn. He won in 1:44.45, just off the course record, passed the $1 million mark and became the 88th New York-bred Grade 1 winner to the delight of his connections.

“The horse had been training super,” Brown said. “I’m just fortunate the horse got in the race because without a lot of graded stuff next to him and no graded wins, he could have easily gotten excluded. I’m happy he was in the race and he fired. Tyler, just another brilliant ride.”

Pegged at 20-1 on the morning line against a field that included Grade 1 winners Nations Pride, Formidable Man and Win for the Money, Spirit of St Louis came into the Pegasus Turf off an almost three-month freshening following a victory in the Mohawk Stakes on Empire Showcase Day in late October at Aqueduct.

Horseplayers bet Spirit of St Louis down to just under 8-1 and the fifth choice in the field of 12.

Spirit of St Louis bumped 5-2 favorite Nations Pride at the start then settled into midpack under Gaffalione. Formidable Man, winner of the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby, set the pace from his inside draw and clicked off strong early splits of :22.74 and :46.20 over the firm turf. Formidable Man still led by a half-length through 6 furlongs in 1:09.29 as the field started to bunch up around the far turn approaching the stretch.

“I loved where he was, but the fact that he found himself between horses down the backside, I’d rather either be on the rail or two deep,” Brown said. “Right in between two horses can get a little tight at times, so I was mildly concerned. I loved where he was in relation to the leader and the pace, but I didn’t know how he was going to track from there.”

Integration made his run at the quarter pole and took command in the lane, ahead of Win for the Money, Mi Hermano, Major Dude and a retreating Formidable Man.

Gaffalione kept Spirit of St Louis toward the center of the course through the lane, picked off rivals in the stretch and edged Integration at the finish. The winning time was just off Warm Heart’s victorious 1:44.45 in last year’s Pegasus World Cup Turf. Chasing Crown, the longest shot on the board at 64-1, finished 1 1/4 lengths back in third.

Gaffalione, second in the Championship Meet rider standings with 35 victories, loved his trip and was thankful to watch the competition throughout.

“I needed to keep an eye on them all around me, especially when William [Buick aboard Nations Pride] went up the fence and gave me a good target,” he said. “I just kind of waited for my spot and coming into the stretch I was able to work my way out and the horse did the rest.

“I’m so happy for the connections and thankful for the opportunity. It’s incredible. This is home for me and it’s good to see so many friendly faces and it’s good to be back in the winner’s circle.”

A full brother to New York-bred Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Bar of Gold, Spirit of St Louis improved to 10-for-14 with three seconds and picked up $498,000 to push his bankroll to $1,267,150. That total puts him just outside the top 40 all-time leading New York-bred earners.

Bred by Chester and the late Mary Broman and foaled at their Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, Spirit of St Louis is also a half brother to stakes-placed New York-breds Land Mine and Homeland. Khancord Kid, a Grade 3 winner, has produced five winners. She’s also the dam of a 2-year-old full brother to Spirit of St Louis.

The Bromans bought Khancord Kid’s dam, Confidently, in 2000 for $1 million at the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale. Out of Grade 1 winner Key Phrase, Confidently is a full sister to multiple stakes winner Yankee Gentleman with her dam a half-sister to the dam of champion Shared Belief.

Spirit of St Louis, a $300,000 purchase by BSW/Crow out of the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale, made his first two starts for owner Peter Brant and Brown. He won his debut on the dirt in mid-February 2023 before a second in a 9-furlong allowance on the dirt, both at Aqueduct. Dubb purchased Spirit of St Louis for $280,000 shortly after that effort, at the Keeneland April horses of racing age sale. He’s won nine of 12 since, including a run of five straight stakes from late 2023 to the summer of 2024.

Brown, who picked up his fifth Eclipse Award as North America’s outstanding trainer Thursday, won his fourth race of the meet and was quick to credit his rider.

“Honestly, I haven’t had a good meet here,” Brown said. “Tyler’s ridden a bunch of them, and I don’t think I’ve had one bad trip. Tyler’s just been in the right spot at every pole in every race, at least for my horses that I’ve watched. Just phenomenal riding. He’s in career form. Just so happy for the partners that are here today. It’s just a great day here at Gulfstream.”

The Wine Steward, off since last year’s Belmont Stakes at Saratoga, wins Saturday’s Fifth Season at Oaklawn Park. Coady Photography/Renee Torbit

The Wine Steward returned from a more than seven-month layoff and topped open company for the second time in Saturday’s $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

The 4-year-old son of Vino Rosso, off since last year’s Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, tracked Patriot Spirit early before putting that rival away in the lane on the way to a narrow victory under Juan Hernandez.

Owned by Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher, The Wine Steward prepped for his return with trainer Mike Maker’s string at Gulfstream Park. He shipped to South Florida from Churchill Downs in early December and put in six 5-furlong works over the main track in Hallandale Beach, including a bullet 1:00.31 December 31 and a :59.64 tightener January 6.

Sent off as the 3-1 second choice in the field of nine behind 6-5 favorite Liberal Arts, The Wine Steward and Hernandez set up shop just off Patriot Spirit heading into the first turn and to the opening quarter-mile in :23.86. They stayed a length back up the backstretch and to the half in :48.08 before ramping up the pressure around the far turn, inching within a head through 6 furlongs in 1:12.77.

The Wine Steward and Patriot Spirit continued their battle into the short stretch before the former edged clear at the finish. The Wine Steward won the 1-mile Fifth Season in 1:38.98 over the fast track. Liberal Arts recovered from his poor start to finish 2 3/4 lengths back in third.

The Wine Steward improved to 4-for-8 with three seconds and picked up $81,000 to boost his bankroll to $548,260. He started his career with three straight victories, including the Bashford Manor against open company at Ellis Park and the Funny Cide Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. A close second in the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland Race Course solidified his credentials for champion New York-bred 2-year-old male honors in 2023.

Patriot Spirit (inside) and The Wine Steward (second from left) cut the corner heading for home in the Fifth Season. Coady Photography/Riley Crow.

The Wine Steward finished second in back-to-back graded stakes to start his 3-year-old campaign last year – the Grade 3 Stonestreet Lexington at Keeneland and Grade 3 Peter Pan at Aqueduct – to earn a spot in the field for the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga. He finished ninth in the Belmont before going to the sidelines.

Bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds, Lakland Farm and Mark Toothaker and foaled at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson, The Wine Steward is the first foal out of the To Honor and Serve mare Call to Service.

The Wine Steward originally sold for $70,000 to Oldham Bloodstock at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. He later brought the third highest price for a New York-bred – $340,000 – at the 2023 OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training out of the Sequel Bloodstock consignment.

Call To Service is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Isotherm and stakes-placed winners Gio Game and Giant Game. Cotteau Grove Farms purchased Call to Service in foal to Authentic for $350,000 at the 2022 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale. She produced Acknowledge, a Louisiana-bred by Authentic, about a month later. A $310,000 out of the 2024 OBS March sale, Acknowledge broke his maiden in his third start December 13 at Fair Grounds and finished fourth in an allowance race there January 19 for owner Repole Stable and trainer Joe Sharp.

Call to Service is also the dam of a 2-year-old filly by Curlin and a yearling colt by Justify, both bred by Coteau Grove Farms. Call to Service was bred to Uncle Mo in 2024.