Exotics Plays for the Sand Springs Stakes

An overflow field of 13 fillies and mares is entered to travel 1 1/16 miles on the Gulfstream Park lawn in Saturday’s $165,000 Sand Springs S. The wildly competitive affair on the Florida Derby (G1) undercard boasts a bevy of win contenders in the deep and well-matched cast. 

Sand Springs Exotics

• 50-cent trifecta 6,11 with 1,6,11,12 with all ($30)
• 20-cent superfecta 6,11 with 1,6,11,12 with 1,3,4,6,9,11,12 with 1,3,4,6,9,11,12 ($24)

I expect the pace to be swift and contested, so I will focus on a pair of late-running types to be the key to my exotics wagers. #6 Breath Away is a consistent late runner who has earned two of her three lifetime wins on the local surface for conditioner Christophe Clement. By Bated Breath, the five-year-old comes in off the short absence with a trio of solid morning moves leading up to Saturday, and I envision her receiving a great trip from off the early tempo under Dylan Davis. The mare will go postward at a fair price, too. 

#11 Five Towns endured a solid 2024 campaign for conditioner Graham Motion and might be even better this season. The bay mare bagged the Dahlia S. at Laurel Park in April and capped last year with a trio of graded stakes placings in succession. The Lord Kanaloa five-year-old has posted numerous works on the green in advance of her return for a fine layoff trainer, and she will be getting in top gear approaching the turn for home on this occasion. The post is a bit of a concern, but I expect a big run from her with Jorge Ruiz in the stirrups. 

In addition to my top duo in the affair, I’ll also include two from the Saffie Joseph shedrow. #12 In Our Time has won or placed in each of her handful of prior assignments on the strip, which includes a third in the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G2) and a runner-up result in the Honey Fox S. (G3) in her last two appearances. The daughter of Not This Time will have to avoid a pace duel in the early stages, but I have confidence that she will endure a sensible voyage and be right there in the latter stages of the heat. 

I was impressed with Joseph’s #1 Movin On Up in her allowance triumph last time out and will use the Accelerate four-year-old. The gray displayed good tactical speed and a fine closing burst while making her local debut, and any improvement off of that will give her a chance on the class rise. This Kentucky-bred filly will have Edgard Zayas aboard.