Tampa Bay: Quick Flip remains unbeaten by upsetting Sandpiper

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Quick Flip, prominent from the outset under Pedro Cotto Jr., rallied outside pacesetter Red Hot Doll in midstretch to gain the lead and went on to post 1 1/2-length victory in the $75,000 Sandpiper Stakes, the co-feature of a 10-race program at Tampa Bay Downs that featured exclusively 2-year-olds.

Trained by Terri Pompay, Quick Flip collected her third straight career victory following tallies at Parx and Monmouth and returned a generous $17.60 while covering the six furlongs over a fast racing strip in a solid 1:10.96.

Blue Forty finished willingly down the middle of the track to be second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of favored Live Every Day with early Red Hot Doll weakening in the final furlong to wind up fourth in the field of 11.

A Kentucky-bred daughter of Speightstown, Quick Flip was a $225,000 2-year-old purchase in the Fasig-Tipton February south Florida sale. She could make her next start in Tampa's Gasparilla Stakes on Jan. 14.

“I thought she looked great in the paddock today, and I loved her,” Pompay said. “Her odds were high but, well, I bet her and I’m very happy. She looked great and she’s been training great. She’s done nothing wrong. She is getting better every race and there is a lot of room for her to get even better and better.”

Cotto, who also rode Quick Flip in her Monmouth Park victory Oct. 23, was grateful for the return assignment.

“I knew she would like this track, and I learned riding her up north she was more than just a quick horse,” Cotto said. “She overcame some trouble at Monmouth and still just drew away. This is a sweet filly and I hope I can ride her some more.”

In the co-featured $75,000 Inaugural Stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings, Angelofdistinction got up in the final strides to post a stunning upset.

Ridden by Pablo Morales and trained by Daniel Pita, Angelofdistinction returned $45 after finishing a neck in front of Wildcat Creek with Dangerous Trick another neck back in third. The previously unbeaten Luke of York finished fourth, another three parts of a length back, as the 3-5 favorite.

Angelofdistinction covered the six furlongs in 1:11.49.

A Florida-bred son of With Distinction, Angelofdistinction was a $7,500 purchase as a yearling. He entered Saturay's race 1 for 6 lifetime, but has turned a corner since being gelded after his last start.

“I don’t think [the operation] changed his demeanor much, but apparently he wants to run faster that way, so I’m not going to complain about that,” Pita said. “He was working lights out – he breezed last Saturday [at Calder] with a 135-pound exercise rider up, and I took him in 47 4/5 seconds. We also closed his blinkers a bit. I was always high on him from the beginning and he proved it today.”

Pita said Angelofdistinction, who is based at Calder, could return here Jan. 14 in the Pasco Stakes.