A two-horse race in the wagering played out exactly as the public saw it going with Sacrosanct (Honest Mischief) getting the best of his GSW/GISP rival Mo Plex (Complexity) in Sunday's Sleepy Hollow Stakes to kick off the stakes action for Empire Showcase Day at Belmont's Aqueduct meet. A debut winner at Saratoga, Sacrosanct unleashed on the field in the Bertram F. Bongard Stakes last out Sept. 22, wiring an over-matched group by 12 lengths to set up Sunday's showdown in a step up in distance facing Mo Plex who was a last-out third in the GI Champagne Stakes over this course and distance. Content to sit behind that rival early, the 2-5 favorite was eased along to keep pace in second into the far turn past the half in :46.21. In a duel past the quarter pole, the top pair threw down into the final sixteenth with Sacrosanct having the most left late to clear off for the score.
“I thought he could get the mile today, but he really had to work for it,” said assistant trainer to Brad Cox, Dustin Dugas. “I was worried about Mo Plex as he already had a mile start under him and I knew he'd be a tough one to beat. Manny [Franco] rode a good head's-up race, and we were fortunate to have the outside advantage on Mo Plex. Our horse had been training really well and I thought he could get the mile, and he did.”
One of two stakes winners from his freshman sire (by Into Mischief)'s first crop, Sacrosanct has a yearling half-brother by Instagrand and a weanling full-brother with his dam due back in foal to Honest Mischief for 2025. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
SACROSANCT stays undefeated winning the Sleepy Hollow Stakes with @jockeyfranco up for @bradcoxracing! pic.twitter.com/15L45jtkhq
— NYRA (🌳) (@TheNYRA) October 27, 2024
SLEEPY HOLLOW S., $200,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-27, (S), 2yo, 1m, 1:36.30, ft.
1–SACROSANCT, 122, c, 2, by Honest Mischief
1st Dam: Vibrato, by Unbridled's Song
2nd Dam: Cuff Me, by Officer
3rd Dam: She'sgotgoldfever, by Gold Fever
($260,000 2yo '24 EASMAY). O-Lady Sheila Stable, Net Birdie,
LLC and Schwing Thoroughbreds; B-Burleson Farms, Mckenzie
Bloodstock, & Sequel Thoroughbreds (NY); T-Brad H. Cox;
J-Manuel Franco. $110,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0,
$228,250.
2–Mo Plex, 122, c, 2, Complexity–Mo Joy, by Uncle Mo.
($27,000 RNA Ylg '23 SARAUG; $45,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR).
O-R and H Stable; B-Everythings Cricket Racing (NY);
T-Jeremiah C. Englehart. $40,000.
3–Soontobeking, 120, c, 2, King for a Day–Swayed, by Freud.
($80,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR). O-Our Blue Streaks Stable, SGV
Thoroughbreds and George Weaver; B-Our Blue Streaks Stable
& SGV Thoroughbreds (NY); T-George Weaver. $24,000.
Margins: 1HF, 3HF, HD. Odds: 0.45, 2.20, 13.70.
Also Ran: Smilensaycheese, Pay the Juice, Scheduling Dude.
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