By Alan Carasso
Bet down from a 4-5 morning line to jump at 35 cents on the dollar in a first-level state-bred allowance at Aqueduct Thursday afternoon, Chester Broman's Sand Devil (c, 3, Violence–Mineralogist, by Mineshaft) ran up the score through the final furlong and a half en route to 'TDN Rising Star' honors.
Having graduated by four solid lengths on six-furlong debut Dec. 8–an effort awarded a field-best 82 Beyer Speed Figure–the homebred drew the inside gate in a field scratched down to five and showed enough speed to hold a spot at the inside through an opening couple of furlongs in :22.90. Jose Lezcano was intent on maintaining that foothold at the fence, and asked Sand Devil to slide up the rail and, though he appeared somewhat reluctant to do so, took the field into the far turn.
Smilensaycheese (Solomini), the 2-1 second choice off a third to divisional heavy Sacrosanct (Honest Mischief) in the New York Stallion Series Stakes over seven panels Dec. 14, was poised three wide if the favorite faltered, but no missteps were taken, as Sand Devil quickly opened up on his rivals in upper stretch and won off as miles the best despite being eased right down in the final sixteenth of a mile.
The Bromans acquired Sand Devil's third dam, the dual-surface Grade I winner Antespend, for $900,000 from the dispersal of Jack Kent Cooke at Keeneland in April 1997 and from her bred 2004 GI Florida Derby winner Friends Lake (A.P. Indy) in addition to Grade II winner Seeking the Ante. The latter and her daughters helped fortify the family, as Seeking the Ante's six winners from six to race included MSP Risk a Chance (A.P. Indy), the dam of 2022 GII Rebel Stakes victor Un Ojo (Laoban) and the dams of SW/MGSP Fingal's Cave (Carpe Diem) and Hejazi (Bernardini), who topped the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2YO Sale on Zedan Racing's bid of $3.55 million before placing twice at Grade I level.
A half-brother to Can You Diggit (Tiznow), SW, $436,555, Sand Devil is also kin to the dam of three-time New York-bred stakes winner Acoustic Ave (Maclean's Music). Barren for 2023 and 2024, four-time stakes winner Mineralogist was most recently bred to Solomini.
Violence, whose sire Medaglia d'Oro produced the Bromans' GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint upsetter Bar of Gold, is now represented by nine 'TDN Rising Stars'.
2nd-Aqueduct, $73,720, (S), Alw (NW1$X), Opt. Clm ($80,000), 1-2, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.91, ft, 12 1/2 lengths.
SAND DEVIL, c, 3, by Violence
1st Dam: Mineralogist (MSW, $270,550), by Mineshaft
2nd Dam: Seeking the Ante, by Seeking the Gold
3rd Dam: Antespend, by Spend a Buck
Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $83,050. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Chester Broman Sr; B-Chester & Mary R Broman (NY); T-Linda Rice.
NY-bred SAND DEVIL is now 2-for-2 after an impressive win in Race 2 with Jose Lezcano aboard for trainer @LindaRiceRacing. Keep an eye on this one! pic.twitter.com/CIAIF99vSJ
— NYRA (🗽) (@TheNYRA) January 2, 2025
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