By Alan Carasso
He made those that swallowed 1-5 really have to sweat it out, but in the end, Chester Broman's 'TDN Rising Star' Sand Devil (Violence) got to the wire first after a long stretch duel in Saturday's state-bred restricted Damon Runyon Stakes at Aqueduct, running his record to a perfect three wins from as many trips to the races.
An impressive four-length winner of his six-furlong debut Dec. 8, the immaculately bred colt was dropping back slightly in trip after decimating first-level allowance rivals by better than a dozen lengths going a mile Jan. 2.
Sand Devil found the front without having to do much work and could have opened up on his four rivals, but Jose Lezcano instead took a hard hold and they ambled along through route-like fractions of :24.52 and :48.58 as the stakes-placed chief market rival National Identity (Solomini) tracked from close range. Sand Devil continued to allow each of his rivals to remain within shouting distance, but he turned for home narrowly in front and he and National Identity to his outside quickened up in unison. There was very little in it through the final stages, but Sand Devil did slightly the better work furlong and a half and went on to prevail by a hard-fought neck.
“He didn't come to me until Saratoga in July and he was far away from racing at that point,” said winning trainer Linda Rice. “It just took a while to get him to the races, but he started showing himself last fall to be a horse with some talent. Today was the first time he had a tussle. He dug it out.”
Rice indicated that the GIII Gotham Stakes back over the local one-turn mile on Mar. 1 could be next for Sand Devil.
The Bromans acquired Sand Devil's third dam, the dual-surface Grade I winner Antespend, for $900,000 from the dispersal of Jack Kent Cooke at Keeneland in April 1997 and from her bred 2004 GI Florida Derby winner Friends Lake (A.P. Indy) in addition to Grade II winner Seeking the Ante. The latter and her daughters helped fortify the family, as Seeking the Ante's six winners from six to race included MSP Risk a Chance (A.P. Indy), the dam of 2022 GII Rebel Stakes victor Un Ojo (Laoban) and the dams of SW/MGSP Fingal's Cave (Carpe Diem) and Hejazi (Bernardini), who topped the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2YO Sale on Zedan Racing's bid of $3.55 million before placing twice at Grade I level.
A half-brother to Can You Diggit (Tiznow), SW, $436,555, Sand Devil is also kin to the dam of three-time New York-bred stakes winner Acoustic Ave (Maclean's Music). Barren for 2023 and 2024, four-time stakes winner Mineralogist was most recently bred to Solomini.
#2 SAND DEVIL ($2.40) noses out #5 National Identity in the 🏆 $125,000 Damon Runyon Stakes at Aqueduct. José Lezcano was in the irons for @LindaRiceRacing and owner/breeder Chester Broman Sr. pic.twitter.com/0qwK7rhEVr
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) February 8, 2025
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