Sandal's Song (Mendelssohn) booked his ticket to the Royal Meeting and earned a $25,000 voucher for the trip with a late-running score in the Palm Juvenile Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday afternoon.
Making his debut as a 7-1 shot here the colt chased a pair of pacesetters up the backstretch in favorite Squire (Leinster) and Beers On Me (Catalina Cruiser). The chestnut tipped off the rail around the far turn with a three-wide move. Showing plenty of zip down the lane, the 2-year-old cleared inside the final furlong and earned his keep. Squire was the runner-up. The trainer of Sandal's Song, George Weaver, won the inaugural Royal Palm Juvenile with No Nay Mets (Ire) (No Nay Never) in 2023.
“He [Sandal's Song] was able to get up in a nice position before they hit the turn,” said Weaver. “I don't really hone on my first time starters. He'd done enough. I knew he was fast. Good horses go out there and do what they're supposed to do. I never worked him on the grass, but he had some turf in his pedigree. If he comes out of this race well I'd like to take him there [Ascot]. I see no reason not to. I feel comfortable he's the caliber who should go if he's doing well.”
The second to the races for his dam, the winner's older half-sister is filly in-training Flip Flops (War of Will), who also got her picture taken at two. Herself a half-sister to MGISP Qurbaan (Speightstown) and UAE group stakes hero Qareeb (Speightstown), Sandal is responsible for a yearling colt by Omaha Beach and she foaled a colt by War of Will Apr. 10. Sandal's Song counts GISP Flip Flop (Fr) as his second dam.
ROYAL PALM JUVENILE S., $100,000, Gulfstream, 5-10, 2yo, 5fT, :56.30, fm.
1–SANDAL'S SONG, 118, c, 2, by Mendelssohn
1st Dam: Sandal, by Munnings
2nd Dam: Flip Flop (Fr), by Zieten
3rd Dam: Flaponny, by Vernon Castle
($80,000 Wlg '23 KEENOV; $75,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP; $75,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Dew Sweepers LLC; B-Hunter Valley Farm & Tony Hegarty (KY); T-George Weaver; J-Luca Panici. $49,000. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $49,000.
2–Squire, 121, c, 2, Leinster–Saudi Chroma, by Lucky Pulpit. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Patrick L. Biancone Racing LLC and Amy E. Dunne; B-Amy E. Dunne & Ciaran G. Dunne (FL); T-Patrick L. Biancone. $21,560.
3–Arkadelphia, 118, g, 2, Halladay–Chili Petin, by City Zip. ($27,000 RNA Ylg '24 NCAAU). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Harrell Ventures LLC; B-HV Bloodstock (CA); T-Luis Mendez. $11,760.
Margins: 1HF, 5HF, HD. Odds: 7.90, 0.90, 23.40.
Also Ran: Beers On Me, Chasing My Dream, Win N Juice, I Think I Can (Ire), Cadenced. Scratched: Ciborio, Fear, Fuzzy Stare, Hotter Than Dem, Skipping Stars, Tully Road.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
SANDAL'S SONG ($17.80) made his first start a winning one in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes at @GulfstreamPark. The Mendelssohn (@CoolmoreAmerica) colt is trained by George Weaver and @LPanici had the ride. The 2YO gets an entry to @Ascot with this victory! pic.twitter.com/x2YeK1uhBR
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) May 10, 2025
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