OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Coming off a failed attempt to make the Kentucky Derby when he finished sixth in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, Sand Devil will turn back in distance to prepare for the second half of his 3-year-old season when he runs in a first-level allowance going a one-turn mile Sunday at Aqueduct.
Sand Devil, a son of Violence, won his first three starts, all against New York-breds, including a narrow victory in the Damon Runyon Stakes in February. After he finished second to Flood Zone in the Grade 3 Gotham, a one-turn mile race here in March, Sand Devil attempted two turns and 1 1/8 miles in the Wood where he finished sixth, 13 lengths behind front-running winner Rodriguez, who is targeting the Belmont Stakes.
“We took a chance,” trainer Linda Rice said. “A flat mile is a better distance for him.”
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Rice had Sand Devil entered in this same condition at this same distance on April 27, but that race came up with a couple of strong horses, including Garamond and Cornucopian. Rice scratched Sand Devil, saying the horse had an elevated temperature.
Jose Lezcano rides Sand Devil from post 2.
Tip Top Thomas, a son of Volatile trained by Todd Pletcher, won his debut on Travers Day last summer and finished second to Chancer McPatrick in the Grade 1 Champagne here last Oct. 5.
Tip Top Thomas made his 3-year-old debut in a first-level allowance at Keeneland going six furlongs where he finished a lackluster fourth, though he was wide down the backside. Retribution, third in that race, came back to win last weekend’s Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico.
Pletcher admitted the colt’s 3-year-old debut was a little disappointing.
“Kind of got caught in chase mode, ran kind of evenly,” Pletcher said. “I think he’s better than that, hopefully. … I thought he ran really well in the Champagne going a mile, so hopefully that will suit him.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Tip Top Thomas.
My Mitole, last in the Wood Memorial, finished third in a three-horse allowance won by Garamond on April 27, while finishing a neck behind Cornucopian.
Trainer Carlos Martin said My Mitole got bumped “pretty hard” by Cornucopian coming out of the gate.
“That took us out of position,” Martin said. “I wanted to be where Garamond was [on the lead]. I thought if I broke sharply, I might have been able to go 24, 47 and kind of nurse him along. Instead, I was laying third in a three-horse field in a drive. I thought he tried and it was a representative effort and he’s done well since.”
Martin also runs Turn and Count, a half-brother to Martin’s Grade 1-winning mare Come Dancing. Turn and Count is coming off a 2 1/4-length maiden win in his third career start.
“I think he’s a horse that’s going to keep improving,” Martin said.
Joey Muscles, trained by Jena Antonucci, is coming off a first-level allowance win against Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park on April 24.
Griffin’s Wharf, a maiden winner going a mile at Laurel, and Toga d’Oro, who gets blinkers and Lasix for the first time for trainer Rick Dutrow, complete the field.
– additional reporting by Mike Welsch
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