Mama’s Gold streaks into $125K Say Florida Sandy

Jonathan Hardoon’s Mama’s Gold will look to provide his productive dam In Spite of Mama with consecutive wins in the $125,000 Say Florida Sandy when he headlines Saturday’s seven-furlong sprint for older New York-breds, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by James Ferraro, Mama’s Gold is out of the winning Speightstown mare In Spite of Mama, whose progeny include dual graded stakes-winning millionaire My Mane Squeeze and graded stakes-placed Rotknee, who won this event last year for owner-breeder William “Buck” Butler and trainer Mike Maker.

While both My Mane Squeeze and Rotknee are still in training and campaigned by Butler, Mama’s Gold was claimed for $25,000 from a third-out maiden-breaking romp in January 2023 and has since won 5-of-16 starts.

Ferraro noted that Butler is also the co-breeder of one of his recent top performers in multiple stakes-placed Sanctuary City, who banked $505,170 through a 25-5-8-4 record.

“It’s ironic that we ended up with this horse,” said Ferraro, who picked up training duties of Mama's Gold in September.

The most recent two efforts for Mama’s Gold, both at nine-furlongs here, have provided triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures, including a 4 1/4-length victory over next-out stakes winner Bank Frenzy in the state-bred Empire Classic [103] in October and a four-length score in an open-company optional-claimer [102] on December 12.

"You can chalk that up to maturity,” Ferraro said of the recent jump up in speed figures. “He's an easy horse to train and does whatever you want. He’s a big, strong horse and aggressive. We'll see how he does in here – if he does good, we might have to take a shot at open stakes this year.”

The versatile bay has notched wins at distances ranging from 6-to-9 furlongs and tends to be forwardly placed even when cut back in distance.

"When he runs shorter, they run at him a little, so hopefully he doesn’t get discouraged,” Ferraro said.

He breezed a half-mile in 50.44 seconds over the Belmont Park dirt training track Saturday in preparation for his seasonal debut, and Romero Maragh retains the mount from post 2 with Mama’s Gold assigned a co-field high 124 pounds.

TriStar Farm’s Doc Sullivan [post 4, Jose Lezcano, 124 pounds] fought gamely on the lead last out in the state-bred Alex M. Robb on December 28 here but was nosed out of a hard-earned victory by Bank Frenzy.

Trained by Michael Miceli and piloted by Jose Lezcano, the 4-year-old Solomini colt earned a career-best 93 Beyer traveling the one-turn mile over sloppy and sealed footing.

“He broke real sharp and Lezcano took advantage of the break,” Miceli said. “Sometimes, if you can steal a length leaving there, you don't have to give it back at the end. He wound up getting beat a nose, but he was wandering a little bit through the stretch. He was just kind of bored - he didn't have anything to run at, but he ran a good race that day.”

The consistent dark bay sports a 12-4-5-1 ledger for purse earnings of $394,550 led by a four-length score in the state-bred Mike Lee sprinting seven furlongs over sloppy and sealed going in June at Saratoga Race Course.

Doc Sullivan, who is five-time stakes-placed in addition to his Mike Lee score, has proven to be versatile with close runner-up efforts in state-bred company around two turns when second in both the 1 1/16-mile New York Derby in July at Finger Lakes and the nine-furlong Albany in August at Saratoga.

Miceli said he was impressed by the colt’s most recent outing when cutting out the fractions but expects the colt might have a horse to chase Saturday.

“I like him with a target but if he needs to go to the front, he has speed. Cutting back to seven, there should be a little more speed. He drew a good post,” Miceli said. “He's in real good shape. He had a nice breeze the other day - five-eighths in 1:01 and change, and he's doing well.”

Miceli said he is hopeful of a strong seasonal debut for the improving Doc Sullivan.

“Through the fall and coming into the winter, he actually blossomed,” Miceli said. “He got stronger and put on a little weight. He's doing real well right now.”

Bred by Seamus Coughlan, Doc Sullivan is out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Queen Frostine and was a $59,000 purchase at the 2023 OBS June Sale of 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age. His third dam, Clever But Costly, produced graded stakes-winners Sun King, Ocean Drive and Traitor.

Ten Strike Racing’s homebred Whittington Park [post 1, Kendrick Carmouche, 122 pounds] has won 4-of-10 starts at the Big A led by a half-length score in the state-bred Haynesfield traveling a one-turn mile here last February.

The Jeremiah Englehart trainee will be looking for his first victory in his sixth start since that effort. The 6-year-old Midnight Lute bay, a half-brother to multiple stakes-winners Looms Boldly and Critical Value, enters from a distant fourth in the state-bred Alex M. Robb on December 28 here when racing from a four-month layoff.

Rounding out a contentious field are dual graded stakes-placed Shipsational [post 6, Eric Cancel,118 pounds] for trainer and co-owner Edward Barker; multiple stakes-placed Sheriff Bianco [post 5, Ruben Silvera, 118 pounds] for winter meet leading trainer Linda Rice; and five-time winner Locke and Key [post 3, Lane Luzzi, 118 pounds], who earned a career-best 92 Beyer in a last-out open allowance win on January 25 here for trainer James Ryerson.

The Say Florida Sandy is slated as Race 3 on Saturday's nine-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.
 
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