SANDY’Z SLEW WINS THE TROY, VANNED OFF AFTER
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » In six previous stakes starts, Sandy’z Slew’s best finish had been a close-up third in the 2014 Troy Handicap. Returning to the Troy four years later in Sunday’s fifth race – it is now a Grade 3 with a $200,000 purse, down from $250k a year ago – the 8-year-old gelding broke on top from his no. 7 post and was never headed.
Longshot Tombelaine (11-1) gave chase early, with 3-2 favorite Disco Partner saving ground in third. The top three held their positions into the stretch, where Sandy’z Slew started pulling away, increasing his margin to 2½ lengths at the stretch call. Blind Ambition made up considerable ground late but was never a threat to the winner. Sandy’z Slew passed under the wire three-quarters of a length in front. Running time for the 5 ½ furlongs over a “soft” Mellon turf course was 1:05.07.
Disco Partner finished two lengths behind Blind Ambition for the show. Square Shooter, Holding Gold, Tombelaine, Ready for Rye and Eastwood trailed in that order.
Sandy’z Slew was pulled up on the gallop-out by jockey Jose Ortiz and vanned off.
“He took a bad step near the quarter-pole, it was probably there,” said Ortiz. “But he kept going in the stretch and showed a lot of heart. He was
good enough to keep running. But when I started jogging him, it [looked like] he hurt a little bit. I think he’ll be OK.”
Trainer Jeremiah Englehart also said he thought Sandy’z Slew would be “OK” and that he may have injured a suspensory [ligament]. Englehart also said Ortiz told him that Sandy’z Slew has “more heart than any horse he’s ever ridden.”
Sandy’z Slew has won his last three races (and four of the last five) in gate-towire fashion, a strategy he had rarely employed in recent years With the Troy win, the son of Limehouse improves to 10-8-5 in 43 starts, with lifetime earnings of $684,487.
Sandy’z Slew, who was claimed out of a race here for $62,000 last July, now competes for James A. Riccio. He was bred in New York by Robert Hahn.