by Bill Finley & Patrycja Szpyra
As he often does with his 2-year-olds, trainer Wesley Ward started Sam's Treasure (Munnings) off in a grass race, in this case a five-furlong maiden on May 11 at Belmont. She finished second, 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner–Cynane (Omaha Beach) had the distinction of being her sire's first winner and made an unfruitful trip to Royal Ascot–but there was nothing about the performance to suggest that she could develop into a top horse. Maybe Ward should have been thinking dirt all along.
In a much improved effort, Sam's Treasure dominated nine rivals to win the $136,500 six-furlong race by 5 3/4 lengths. She tracked pacesetter Life's Joy (Mitole) down the backstretch, took over on the turn and then drew clear of her rivals to post a dominant victory. After being steadied early and losing ground, Colonial Rose (Constitution) managed to recover well enough to safely secure runner-up honors, but long behind the winner.
Sam's Treasure was ridden by John Velazquez, who was subbing for the injured Jose Ortiz.
The field included Camera (Curlin), a first-time starter from the Todd Pletcher barn who cost $1,050,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. The daughter of MGISP Cassies Dreamer (Flatter) bobbled a few steps out of the gate and never recovered. She finished ninth as the 70-100 favorite.
“Earlier on we had her on both surfaces,” Ward said of Sam's Treasure. “I just thought she's a big filly. She came to hand early but the races at Keeneland are at 4 1/2 furlongs and a horse needs to be a little quicker than she is to win those. The Belmont race came up. I like to run horses on grass there because it's a kind and forgiving surface. If she didn't win, I thought that would still set her up nicely for Saratoga and it did.”
Sam's Treasure, also a Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate, was picked out at the sale by the team of Ben McElroy, Ward and Mike Hall, the managing director of the owner, Breeze Easy LLC. She sold for $700,000.
#9 Sam's Treasure rolls home in R6 at Saratoga under @ljlmvel for trainer Wesley Ward! 🏆
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/xJdBWUFybJ
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) July 23, 2023
“She was beautiful here last summer at the Saratoga sale,” Ward said. “We went around and looked at all the horses and this was Ben McElroy's pick as well. We kind of pushed Mike Hall into buying her because it was a lot of money for her.”
At the time of the sale, Hall's partner in Breeze Easy was Sam Ross. Ross died in September at the age of 79.
“Unfortunately, Sam died last year so Mike Hall named her Sam's Treasure after Sam,” Ward said. “And Sam's Treasure came through for him today. Sam is shining down on us. Mike is someone you really want to get behind and win for. It's so hard to win, especially here at Saratoga. To have a filly as promising as this, I'm really excited.”
Bred by Baron Thoroughbreds in Kentucky, Sam's Treasure is the second offspring for her dam, Malibu Treasure, but the first to make the races ahead of elder half-brother Buckeye Don (Speightstown). The mare had back-to-back colts by Promises Fulfilled, a yearling and a 2023 foal. Hailing from a Graded stakes-placed and multiple stakes-winning half-sister to G1SP & MGSW Choctaw Nation, Malibu Treasure can also claim GSW Her Temper; GISW El Deal (Munnings); and GSW Thunder Achiever as members of her extended female family.
6th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 7-23, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.22, ft, 5 3/4 lengths.
SAM'S TREASURE (f, 2, Munnings–Malibu Treasure, by Malibu Moon) Sales history: $700,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $75,750. O-Breeze Easy, LLC; B-Baron Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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