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“Rising Star” Sand Devil, statesman preparation for potential wood start

'Tdn rising star' sand devil (Violence) had his first work since the second place in Giii Gotham Stakes on March 1, which covered over half a mile in 49 seconds on Saturday over the Belmont Park Dirt training course.

The Sand Devil trained by Linda Rice is aimed at the nine-furgongons Gii Wood Memorial Stakes in the Aqueduct racing route from 5 to 100-50-25-15-10 qualification for the GI Kentucky Derby.

“He went nicely and went out in 1:01 and 2 five eighths and galloped three quarters in 13 and 3-we were very happy,” said Rice about work. “He stayed with the company for about half a mile and then continued alone. We are on the way to the Wood monument and things go the right way. “


The chestnut received its first career defeat Flood zone (Frosted) in the gymnastics mile Gotham, where he stumbled across the break under the regular pilot Jose Lezcano and himself on a three-way Normandy coast (Omaha Beach). Sand devil stuck his head at the front of three quarters before it was put into the route through flood zones and was defeated with 3 1/4 lengths. Sand Devil received 25 qualification points from Kentucky Derby for the efforts.

“We had the feeling that things didn't divided perfectly for him, but it is not a shame to be second in the Gotham,” said Rice. “He stumbled over the break and then hurried and was head and head for the tour. Nothing went perfectly, but we still have 25 points. “

Sand Devil entered the Gotham in three starts against state mergers on Big A, starting with a debut graduation on December 8th. Then on January 2, at 12 1/2 long he was in an optional applicant of a gymnastics mile with 12 1/2 lengths “TDN Rising Star” For the effort. Sand Devil held his first deployment test in the Damon Runyon on February 8th.

The stallion coach said that she was carefully optimistic that Sandeleiter would enjoy extending an extension in two curves in the Wood monument.

“You have to wait and see. We are hopeful that it suits him and that the simpler factions could be helpful, but they don't know until they send them out there, ”said Rice.

Staatsmann politician to get wooden voting lists

West Point -Vollblut, Woodford Racing and CJ Stables's Statesman (Constitution) is strongly taken into account for the Wood Memorial.

The Bay trained by the Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey won his last two starts in a mile and 40 yards in Tampa Bay Downs. He completed the fourth end and ended on January 17 and defeated the optional claim for February 26.

Staatsman achieves at Tampa | SV photography

“Well, Shug is obviously the band's leader, but I know that he is very, very fascinated by the Wood Memorial,” said Terry Finley, CEO of co-owners West Point full blood. “We talk a lot and he believes that the surface up there fits this horse very well. Shug hadn't expected that, he sent him to Tampa to achieve a boost of trust, and he ran really well, then came back right away and did a good second effort and ran a large number, so who knows? “

Finley believes that statesman deserves a shot in the wood of a career best 78 Beyer.

“Of course he has to build his game and has to beat better horses in the wood than in Tampa, but I think he's in the zone,” said Finley. “He is a horse that seems to be getting better and better and has a really, really good turn.”

The co -owner attributes McGaughey's patient approach that the statesman can develop. At the beginning of August, he finished third on the Saratoga racetrack in his debut from off-Tourf before he later ended a well-beaten seventh over the grass in the state in the past state this month. In November he became a fourth in the Gulfstream Park.

“He is a horse that would not have benefited from being rushed. We drove him last year in his first start in a race outside the turkey and he ended a decent third, ”he said. “We thought he was ongoing work and a typical horse. Then this project suddenly became cheap at the beginning of the year. You are not all cut out to win in Saratoga as a 2-year-old. “

The statesman worked half a mile for McGaughey in 49.93 seconds in the Gulfstream Park in 49.93 seconds.