Sheriff Bianco rolls to his first stakes victory at 14-1 in Saturday’s Say Florida Sandy at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo.
Sheriff Bianco returned on seven days’ rest and ended a 21-race losing skid with a victory through light snowflakes in Saturday’s $125,000 Say Florida Sandy Stakes at Aqueduct.
The 7-year-old Speightster gelding came away with his first stakes victory in the 7-furlong Say Florida Sandy, upsetting his five rivals at 14-1 under Ruben Silvera. Owned by A Bianco Holding Limited and trained by Linda Rice, Sheriff Bianco finished third last Saturday in an open-company 7-furlong allowance-optional at Aqueduct.
“He loves 7 furlongs,” said of Sheriff Bianco, who improved to 1-2-1 in six starts at the distance. “It is a New York-bred, 7-furlong [stakes] and frankly, I’ve had the horse quite a while, and here and there it has looked like he’s tailed off at times.
“We’ve given him a few breaks and I ran him for a claiming price last time out. I was pretty happy with that performance, I thought it was an uptick in his performances, and because of that I said, ‘let’s give him a shot in the New York-bred stakes because seven-eighths is probably his sweet spot.’ ”
Sent off as the second longest shot on the board at 14-1, Sheriff Bianco raced fourth early as Mama’s Gold set the pace ahead of Shipsational and Doc Sullivan through the opening quarter-mile in :23.64.
Mama’s Gold continued to lead around the far turn with Shipsational ramping up the pressure approaching the half-mile split in :46.90. Mama’s Gold still led into the lane before Shipsational took over outside the eighth pole, past 6 furlongs in 1:11.80 under Eric Cancel.
Silvera kept Sheriff Bianco in the clear through the lane and the gelding rolled past Shipsational at the sixteenth pole. He widened his advantage from there, winning by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:24.94.
“I tried to follow the instructions and [Rice] told me, ‘stay behind the speed, comfortable,’ ” Silvera said. “I had a perfect trip and I come behind the speed waiting for the stretch. I tried switching the lead two times, but he never switched. I tried hard in the end and he won.”
Shipsational held second, three-quarters of a length in front of Doc Sullivan. Locke and Key, Mama’s Gold and Whittington Park completed the field.
Sheriff Bianco earned $68,750 for his first stakes victory and improved to 7-for-41 in his career with 23 placings and earnings of $811,863. Seven of those placings came in stakes, including a third three starts back in the Alex M. Robb and a runner-up effort in the 2023 Empire Classic Stakes on Empire Showcase Day.
Rice said Sheriff Bianco could return in the $125,000 Haynesfield for older New York-breds April 6 at Aqueduct.
“He’s good at one turn, whether it be 6 [furlongs] to a mile, it is really where he wants to be,” she said. “He’s even run well at a mile and an eighth at times. The seven-eighths is probably his best spot, but I would assume we will go to the Haynesfield next.”
Bred by SF Bloodstock LLC, Sheriff Bianco is the fourth foal out of the Perfect Soul mare Summer Rules. A half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Peace Rules, Summer Rules is also the dam of stakes winner Never Gone South, a four-time winner an earner of $244,135; and Sister’s Duty, an earner of $79,213.
Summer Rules is also the dam of Nelson Gate, an unraced 3-year-old gelding by Kitten’s Joy who sold for $30,000 to Christophe Clement, agent, at the 2023 Keeneland September yearling sale. Nelson Gate has turned in three breezes this winter at Payson Park Training Center, including a 3-furlong drill in :38.60 February 10.
SF Bloodstock also bred a colt by Quality Road out of Summer Rules that sold as a weanling for $375,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall mixed sale. Summer Rules returned to Quality Road for the 2024 season.
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