Sandiva tries to pull a Mshawish in Royal Delta
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – With the turf-to-dirt experiment having turned out to be an unequivocal success for Mshawish, trainer Todd Pletcher is hoping for similar results with Sandiva. A multiple graded stakes winner on grass, Sandiva makes her main-track debut in Saturday’s Grade 2 Royal Delta at Gulfstream Park.
Six older fillies and mares have been entered in the 1 1/16-mile Royal Delta, including graded stakes winners Call Pat and Best Behavior, along with the graded-stakes-placed Penwith.
Like Mshawish, who captured the Grade 1 Donn Handicap here last Saturday, Sandiva is owned by Al Shaqab Racing and began her career in Europe before joining Pletcher’s stable during the summer of 2014. She has won three races, all stakes, in nine North American starts, including the Grade 3 Suwannee River here last winter and the Grade 3 Marshua’s River here to open her current campaign.
“It’s the same idea as with Mshawish,” said Pletcher. “She’s always trained really well on dirt, and we’ve been thinking about running her on dirt for a while now. And the timing looks right for this race. We feel like two turns at a mile and one-sixteenth is the right place to try it, and it doesn’t hurt our feelings that it’s a short field either.”
Sandiva will share the high weight of 123 pounds with Call Pat under the allowance conditions of the Royal Delta. Call Pat captured the Grade 3 Groupie Doll going a mile last summer at Ellis Park. Call Pat has not started since finishing a late-running third in the Grade 2 Falls City Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 26.
Call Pat’s starting status could be in question. Owned by Miller Racing and stabled at Oaklawn Park with trainer Brad Cox, she’s had only two published works since Dec. 31. Miller Racing also campaigns Royal Delta entrant Best Behavior, who will stretch out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time off an impressive victory going six furlongs in the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl here on Dec. 26.
Penwith, 5, returned from an 11-month layoff to win an allowance race going a one-turn mile here Jan. 21 and seems to be even more effective at two turns.
“It’s a little quick back, but she’s doing excellent,” said Kiaran McLaughlin, who trains Penwith for Godolphin Racing.
Gamblers Rose and Sandiva’s uncoupled stablemate Enchantress complete the field.
KEY CONTENDERS
Sandiva, by Footstepsinthesand
Last 3 Beyers: 100-95-100
◗ Joel Rosario will replace her regular jockey, Javier Castellano, who is riding at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Sandiva. Owner Al Shaqab Racing is 7-6-1-0 with a $5.48 ROI in graded stakes at Gulfstream Park and 14-0-0-4 in graded stakes elsewhere. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Best Behavior, by Into Mischief
Last 3 Beyers: 91-84-87
◗ Although she’s never tried two turns, she has won a pair of races going a mile, including the Claiming Crown Glass Slipper Stakes in December 2014.
Penwith, by Bernardini
Last 3 Beyers: 86-68-68
◗ She’ll be reunited with jockey Luis Saez, who has been aboard for two of her four victories.
◗ She finished third in the Grade 2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct at 2.