The Sanford (Grade 3)- $175.000 Purse
SAR- For Two Year Olds
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
July 16, 2022

The SAR meet has started, and amid all of the great races that will take place here are some excellent chances for two year olds to make a name for themselves at the start, and then to leave the meet feeling hopeful for what the rest of the fall and beyond will have in store for them. All of the horses in this field have either shown their potential in strong races already, or are telling their trainers with works that they could do some great things. As such, a race like this isn’t really about looking at the past, though we will! It can also be very up for grabs! Most of the horses from last year’s race have gone on to have a good career, though doesn’t have the one horse that is a true stand out. Statuesque, who finished second, has the most career earnings, but still just two career wins, all in overnights. The winner of the 2021 Sanford was Disciplinary, then for Tiratzo, but he has not won since. After some disappointing runs and a couple of private sales he may have had a resurgence in his last start. A full field of twelve will be taking part for the 2022 race. Here they are!

#1- Sufficient (Mb Stables, ridden by A Cedillo)- This gelding is out of Enoughs Enough, who had a chance to run in the KYO, and later won the Cotillion. To this point, she’s only had one real good foal and seems capable of doing more. Maybe that foal will be Sufficient, who’s won one of three, but really struggled last month in the FT Futurity at SA.

#2- Peace Pipe (Arindel, ridden by L Saez)- Made her debut at SA about as early as a horse can make it, and placed second. A month later, Arindel acquired the Apache gelding in private sales for $250.000, and ten days later, he’d win a $123.000 maiden race north of the border. He’s had a couple months to rest, but he’s been looking really good in works, which we especially saw at BEL on June 21.

#3- Muzzle (South Shore Stables, ridden by T Gaffalione)- After a modest debut at FON, Muzzle spoke loudly at PRX last month to break his maiden, winning in a very tight photo. Looking at work times, there will be others that impress you more, but you can almost always count on a Proud Chai foal to run well on the track. Others appeal to me more right now, though.

#4- Lumineer (Aarons Hosses, ridden by C J Hernandez)- This colt by Commanding has one win in his two starts thus far, breaking his maiden at four and a half furlongs against CA-breds at SA in May. Working consistently, and is scheduled to see an add change with the addition on blinkers and the removal of the shadow roll.

#5- Chilly Chill (Fractious, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- Won on debut at SA in early April and was given a couple of months to rest before hitting the track again. When he did, it was in the $150.000 Mountain Top Futurity for NM-breds, but he only finished in the middle of the field. Two days later, he became a gelding, so we’ll see how much of an effect the snip has and is my pick.

#6- Whiskey Drink (First Flight Stable, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- This is the fourth race for this colt, who has been doing most of his running in $123.000 maidens at WO. Last month, he won one of them and hopes to take the next step here. SRF’s have been as consistent as possible, getting an 87 in each of his starts.

#7- Navajo Hopes (El Primero Rodeo, ridden by E Jaramillo)- Like many in this field, he made his debut in the beginning of April, and for him it was victorious, coming at CT. Unlike the others, he has not been back on the track since. We’ve been seeing him work well recently, at SA and then BEL, and he was gelded a few weeks ago.

#8- Major Problem (Rousee, ridden by J Rosario)- Here’s the only horse in the field with multiple wins this year so far. His win also came at CT, and was a day before Navajo Hopes did so. He has not been sitting around, though, and has run two more times, first being the KY Juvenile. He’d be gelded after that one, and impressively won last month in the $150.000 Tremont at BEL.

#9- Gorogue Laga- Scratched

#10- Iron And Steel (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by D Davis)- At the start of May, Iron And Steel won one of those coveted $123.000 maidens at WO and was hoping to build on that in the $150.000 Tremont. It didn’t work out that way, as he placed fifth but there is no reason to think that he can’t get a little redemption on the one he watched win that race right here.

#11- Union Avenue (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J C Ferrer)- This colt by Man O War will be running for the third time, and was last seen down at LS in May, breaking his maiden. Comparatively speaking, that victory did not earn him as high of an SRF as others have gotten, and others are working quicker at six furlongs. And all of that can mean absolutely nothing with a two year old!

#12- Nygard (Kopites, ridden by M Franco)- No one has made more trips to the race track thus far than Nygard, who runs for the fifth time. This is his debut for Kopites, though, who picked the gelding up in private sales for $175.000 a few weeks ago. Won a $120.000 maiden at CD before the sale, and the add adjustment helps, he’s definitely a force in here.

#13- Drop Off (Williams9, ridden by J J Castellano)- Thanks to the scratch of Gorogue Laga, Drop Off is able to participate in the Sanford. It’ll be his fourth start, and comes three weeks after being second in a $127.000 allowance at CD. Has one win to his credit, which was at SRP and by four lengths.

Prediction: 5-8-2-12

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES