Arthur's Hope wires field in Say Florida Sandy Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Speed horses struggled the first week of the new year at Aqueduct. The first three days of the second week, they thrived.

Kendrick Carmouche put the speed of Arthur’s Hope to good use Saturday, guiding him to a one-length, front-running victory over the always game T Loves a Fight in the $100,000 Say Florida Sandy Stakes for New York-breds at Aqueduct. It was 1 1/4 lengths back to Aveenu Malcainu in third as the first three finishers ran positions unchanged from start to finish.

The win was the 12th from 26 starts for Arthur’s Hope, a 6-year-old son of Smart Bid owned by Raul DelValle and trained by the Maryland-based Marco Salazar. It was Salazar’s second career stakes win, his other coming with Tuffted in the Peach of It Handicap at Hawthorne in 2005.

Arthur’s Hope made his previous two starts at Aqueduct finishing fourth behind My Boy Tate and T Loves a Fight in a division of the New York Stallion Stakes on Nov. 24 and fourth behind Wicked Trick in a second-level allowance on Dec. 28.

In the Stallion Stakes, Arthur’s Hope was pressed through a strong early pace. In the allowance, he couldn’t make the lead.

Saturday, with the scratch of Morning Breez, Arthur’s Hope was the primary speed in the field. Either way, Carmouche said he was going to the front.

Arthur’s Hope opened up a 1 1/2-length lead through a quarter of 23.17 seconds and a half-mile in 45.90. T Loves a Fight chased him from second and though he got within a half-length at the eighth pole he was never able to go by.

Arthur’s Hope covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.42 and returned $12.20 to win.

“The trainer called me this morning from Delaware and said just put him on the lead, don’t fight with him too much, he don’t like to switch leads,” Carmouche said. “I warmed him up good and he switched with me and he held them off.”

T Loves a Fight typically likes to come from off the pace but Davis, riding the speed bias, had the gelding closer to the pace on Saturday.

“The track was playing speed, I wanted to be forwardly placed, he ran well,” Davis said. “He’s a closer, he’s running against what he likes to do.

Aveenu Malcainu finished 3 3/4 lengths clear of The Caretaker, who went off the 8-5 favorite. My Boy Tate, the 2-1 second choice, finished fifth followed by Celtic Chaos.