Sand and Sea gives another Mott memorable moment in Orange Blossom

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Bill Mott has had countless memorable moments at Gulfstream Park during his Hall of Fame career. On Sunday, it was time for his son Riley to have one of his own after sending out Sand and Sea to a convincing, gate-to-wire, 2 3/4-length victory over tepid favorite Sister Lou Ann in the $100,000 Orange Blossom overnight handicap.

Sand and Sea capped a huge weekend here for her jockey Paco Lopez, who swept both divisions of the Florida Series aboard Seminole Chief in the In Reality Stakes and Honey Dijon in the My Dear Girl Stakes on Saturday.

Mott said he entered Sand and Sea in the Orange Blossom, which was decided at 1 1/16 miles over the Tapeta course, only after a two-other-than allowance race he was pointing her to failed to fill. Sand and Sea had won a similarly conditioned allowance test restricted to Indiana-breds at Horseshoe Indianapolis Racecourse in her most recent start. The Orange Blossom gave Sand and Sea her second victory in as many starts over the Tapeta surface.

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Sand and Sea broke alertly and quickly sprinted to command, setting splits of 24.71 seconds and 47.96 for the opening half-mile while stalked by Sister Lou Ann from the outset. The latter loomed up outside the leader on the final turn, but Sand and Sea had plenty in reserve, readily repulsing the challenge before gradually widening her advantage to the end. It was another three parts of a length farther back to third-place finisher Coco.

Sand and Sea, a 5-year-old daughter of Liam’s Map owned by James Karp, completed the distance in 1:40.10 and paid $11.60.

“I’ve been coming here since I was literally in diapers, I always had aspirations to have a presence here on this circuit. To win at a place like Gulfstream Park, it’s pretty special for me,” said the younger Mott, who has 37 horses stabled at Palm Meadows .

“I wasn’t surprised she was in front that easily, she’s kind of been out there without any issue in her last three or four races,” Mott added. “You know how Paco rides. He loves looping the rein, so I thought he’d fit her perfect. She gets brave out on the lead and has an affinity for the synthetic. She’s really a cool filly, she’s actually won on all three surfaces.”

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