Honey Fox

Swettenham Stud's SAND SPRINGS (Dynaformer) went right to the lead in

Sunday's Honey Fox H. (G3) at Gulfstream Park and never looked back, taking the

8 1/2-furlong firm turf event under Jerry Bailey in near wire-to-wire fashion.

Sent off at 5-1, the dark bay set rapid fractions of :22 4/5, :45 1/5, 1:08 1/5

and 1:32 1/5 for the mile while maintaining at least a one-length advantage

throughout. Tracked by River Belle (GB) (Lahib) and Silver Lace (Silver Deputy),

the Bill Mott trainee put those two rivals away entering the turn for home,

while fighting off a hard-charging group of closers led by Potra Fabulous (Arg)

(Potrillon [Arg]) and Shaconage (El Prado [Ire]). At the wire, Sand Springs

stopped the clock in 1:38 2/5 and was a nose in front of Potra Fabulous, who closed like a

freight train and appeared as though she had caught the winner. Shaconage

finished another two lengths back in third.

Sand Springs returned $12.20, $7 and $5.60 while keying $1 exotics of $54.90

(exacta), $476.20 (trifecta) and $6,344 for the 6-2-4-12 superfecta. Potra

Fabulous gave back $10.20 and $7 at 9-1 while Shaconage, a neck ahead of Pretty

Jane (Subordination), paid $6. Pretty Jane completed the super and was

followed by River Belle, Silver Lace, Marwood (Marlin), Cloakof Vagueness (El

Prado [Ire]), Mymich (A.P. Indy), Where We Left Off (GB) (Dr Devious) and

Changing World (Spinning Top). Fast Cookie (Deputy Minister) and Givememore (Brz)

(Special Nash [Ire]) were withdrawn.

Bred in Kentucky by Willmott Stables Inc., Sand Springs was purchased for $625,000

at the 2004 Keeneland November sale. The five-year-old now owns a record of

21-7-3-2 with earnings of $724,118, including scores in the Lake Placid H. (G2)

and the Regret S. (G3) from 2003. Out of the unraced Storm Bird mare Lovely Martha, Sand

Springs has an unraced two-year-old half-brother by Ide and a 2005

half-brother by Mineshaft.