Mambo Slew Slithers to Sands Point Victory

(from Belmont report)
Jockey Edgar Prado weaved Mambo Slew through traffic along the inside in the stretch to catch favored Lucifer's Stone in the final jumps of the $114,800 Sands Points (gr. IIIT) for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park on Sunday.

"I got blocked in at the quarter pole and had to wait a little bit," Prado said. "When I saw a hole, I turned her loose."

Mambo Slew, who is trained by Patrick Biancone, won the 1 1/8-mile turf race by a neck in 1:47 1/5. She paid $12, $6.10 and $4.80. as the third choice in the field.

Prado kept Mambo Slew near the back of the pack reaching the turn. At the top of the stretch, as most of the closers moved on the outside, Prado went straight through the pack and along the hedge.

"Patrick told me she had nice acceleration," said Prado, who also won the third and sixth races on Sunday. "When you win like this (diving through traffic) it's very exciting. I feel like I accomplished something."

Savage Beauty held the early lead through an opening quarter of :24, gave way briefly to Cherry's Hunter while recording a :47 1/5 half-mile, and wrested the lead again through six furlongs in 1:11. As the frontrunners gave way, Mambo Slew manuevered her way into contention at the eighth pole.

Mambo Slew – a 3-year-old bay filly by Kingmambo, out of Slew Boyera (Seattle Slew) – earned $68,880 for owner Frank Manganaro. She is now 4-1-0 from seven starts with earnings of $218,170.

"She's been beaten twice," Biancone said. "Once because she had to go to the lead because there was no pace and once because she was blocked inside with no chance to come out. That nearly happened today again. She likes to suck in behind horses, then kick. She has an unbelievable turn of foot."

Lucifer's Stone ($3.80, $2.90), the 2-1 choice in the field of 10 under Jose Santos, was second, 1 3/4 lengths in front of Vous ($7.20) and Victor Fernandez. Vous closed gamely from the back of the pack after stumbling out of the gate.

Delta Sensation took fourth, followed by Fortunate Damsel, Minge Cove, Serendipitous, Please Take Me Out, Savage Beauty and Cherry's Hunter.

Prado picked up the mount when Mike Smith missed his flight from Southern California.

Biancone said that he would like to take Mambo Slew to the $750,000 American Oaks (Gr. 1) at 1 ¼ miles at Hollywood Park on July 3.

(Chart, Equibase)