The New Year's Day Old Hat Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park pointed to a promising 3-year-old campaign for Sacristy, who won the $100,000 main track test in smart style (VIDEO).
Under a confident ride from Kent Desormeaux, the heavy choice surged into contention on the turn for home and took over at mid-stretch en route to a 1 3/4-length win over Say a Novena. Bet to Win finished third. The final time for six furlongs was 1:10.91 over a fast track.
Peachtree Stable owns Sacristy, a lightly raced daughter of Pulpit out of Christies Treasure (Belong to Me). She broke her maiden over special-weight rivals by nearly seven lengths in her last start Nov. 10 at Churchill Downs.
Sacristy had been working superbly at Gulfstream for trainer Wayne Catalano in preparation for her fourth lifetime start, including a pair of bullet five-furlong drills this month.
Elisabeth Alexander bred the dark/bay brown filly, a $125,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling in August 2010, in Kentucky.
“This is what it’s all about, moving these young horses forwardly," Catalano said. "She was taking a step forward and we thought she might make it. She was training like she would."
Catalano said he will probably point Sacristy to Gulfstream's Forward Girl Stakes (gr. II) at seven furlongs Jan. 29. The trainer thinks she will stretch out to two turns later on.
“She should be fine," he said. "She relaxed back there and made a run. That’s a good sign, right?”
Desormeaux held Sacristy near the rear of the field of seven 3-year-old fillies as Sabrina's Dance led early over previously unbeaten Quick Flip and Bet to Win down the backstretch. Quick Flip and Bet to Win applied pressure on the leader approaching the turn and took the advantage as Sacristy advanced on the outside.
Always comfortable, Sacristy edged up four wide on the outside rounding the bend and gradually wore down the leaders to get the lead from the Bet to Win at the furlong pole. She drew off and finished under steady handling as Say a Novena rallied for second under Elvis Trujillo by a half-length over Bet to Win and Javier Castellano.
Quarter-mile fractions were :22.21 and :45.03.
Sacristy began her career with back-to-back runner-up maiden efforts over Polytrack at Arlington Park and Keeneland. She has earned $104,712.
“She was just spot on today," said Desormeaux, who has ridden the filly in her past three races. "Her eyes were bugging out of the bridle. You could tell she wanted to be a racehorse when she was warming up."
The winner carried 118 pounds and paid $4.60, $2.80, and $2.40 as the 13-10 pick. Say a Novena, in her first start since running 10th in the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) two months ago, returned $3.60 an $2.80. The exacta was worth $14.40. Bet to Win, another Pulpit filly, paid $3.80 to show.
Quick Flip was fourth, followed by Awesome Belle, Soft Whisper, and Sabrina's Dance.
