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Better Lucky gets the nod in Sands Point photo

Better Lucky (inside) found the wire just before the rallying Regalo Mia (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) Darley Stable's homebred Better Lucky made her turf debut a winning one in Monday's Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point Stakes at Belmont, but by the slimmest of margins. Making the most of a ground-saving, stalking trip masterminded by Eddie Castro, the Tom Albertrani filly got the jump on Regalo Mia and just held on in a tight photo. Somali Lemonade, the 4-5 favorite, was a non-threatening fourth. Better Lucky, the 8-1 fourth choice, lived up to her name with a fortuitous trip. The daughter of Ghostzapper sat behind Preach Tome Daddy through slow fractions of :25 3/5, :49 3/5 and 1:13 1/5 on the firm inner turf. Zultanite, a 23-1 longshot, was well placed in second, while Firehouse Red raced outside of the tracking Better Lucky. Regalo Mia advanced into the picture wider out on the far turn, but Somali Lemonade was making little impression from farther back. By that point, Better Lucky had angled to the outside for clear running room, and took aim on the leaders at the head of the lane. As Preach Tome Daddy weakened, the upset-minded Zultanite took over, but was soon challenged by Better Lucky. Driving to the fore, Better Lucky was in turn accosted by Regalo Mia, who continued her sustained rally on the outside.

Better Lucky's margin was being steadily erased until the two crossed the wire together. The photo revealed that she kept her nose in front in a final time of 1:42 3/5 for 1 1/16 miles, and rewarded her backers with $18.20, $8.50 and $6.50.

"I saved ground all the way," Castro recapped. "I got a nice position behind number 6 (Preach Tome Daddy). Coming into the stretch I moved to the outside and she gave me all that she had. She tried really hard and held for the photo finish."

"I was a little concerned," Albertrani said. "I thought she'd be on the lead easy. It looked like we were getting a little bit outrun, but Eddie did a great job, just rode with patience and found a seam to get through. She finished up good. The last jump was pretty tight, I said 'I'll settle for a dead heat here!'"

Regalo Mia checked in a neck ahead of the stubborn Zultanite. There was a five-length gap back to Somali Lemonade, followed by Preach Tome Daddy, Modulate, Firehouse Red and Dreaming of Cara.

Better Lucky's first stakes coup advanced her line to 5-3-0-1, $202,950. Both of her previous wins had come on off tracks, a 4 1/4-length debut score on Aqueduct's inner oval on December 7 and a 5 1/4-length romp in an entry-level allowance at Belmont Park last time out on May 2. In between, she had tried stakes company on a fast track, finishing a disappointing fifth in the January 14 Ruthless and third in the February 25 Busher.

"From past experience," Albertrani noted, "I've seen horses run well in the mud (and then run well on the grass). Brilliant Speed is a perfect example. It's kind of a different angle, you're not always certain it will work, but sometimes it does. It certainly did today. We're very excited that she was able to win this race, and we'll just pick a spot down the road for her."

The Kentucky-bred is a half-sister to Canadian Grade 3 winner Sahara Heat. They are out of the Grade 2-winning Seeking the Gold mare Sahara Gold, who is herself a full sister to the stakes-placed Ensenada, dam of this year's Grade 2 Mervin H. Muniz Memorial Handicap hero Casino Host.

Better Lucky's second dam, Desert Stormer, famously defeated males in the 1995 Breeders' Cup Sprint. Other prominent family members include unbeaten Group 1 queen White Moonstone and Canadian champion Sound Reason.

Bet the Belmont Stakes at TwinSpires.com

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