The Sands Point for turf fillies is the early Saturday feature at Aqueduct

By NY Hot List staff | Friday, October 13, 2023

The Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point is the feature on Saturday in the Belmont at the Big A meeting. The 1 1/8 mile turf stake for 3-year-old fillies drew a field of 13 which includes three that are entered for the main track only. There is rain expected once again in New York on the weekend so expect a wet turf course.

The field includes the top two finishers from last month’s Jockey Club Turf Invitational (G3) that was run at Aqueduct on a firm grass course. Eternal Hope and Neecie Marie were separated by only a neck at the end of the 1 3/8 miles.

Be Your Best was second in the Del Mar Oaks (G1) in August for the New York-based trainer Horacio DePaz. She is also entered in the Queen Elizabeth II (G1) at Keeneland on Saturday.

The $200,000 Sands Point (G2) at Aqueduct, Saturday, Race 2, 1:08 pm EDT.

(7) Eternal Hope won the Jockey Club Turf Invitational (G3) in her first start in America for Charlie Appleby after running third in a Group 3 race at Deauville in France. In the Jockey Club she rallied from 23 lengths behind after a very slow start and once again jockey Jamie Spencer comes over from Great Britain to ride. (5) Neecie Marie has four wins in her seven-race career including three victories on the grass. She also rallied from far back when she just missed in the Jockey Club. The Pennsylvania-bred won her prior two starts on the turf at her base at Parx Racing. (4) Be Your Best travelled to Del Mar and was second in the Oaks (G1) on the grass. She won the first two starts of her career as a 2-year-old at Saratoga including the PG Johnson. (1) Soviet Excess finished third in her last three starts in stakes races at the New York tracks for Todd Pletcher.

Here are ratings of the Main Track Only entries in case the race is taken off the turf.

(13) Ichiban won three races at Saratoga with front-end efforts against NY-breds moving from a maiden win to an allowance and then a stakes race going nine furlongs. (12) Amanda’s Folly was second behind her Linda Rice stablemate Ichiban at Saratoga and a state-bred allowance winner. (11) Essaouira ships up from the Fair Hills barn of Graham Motion with a June allowance win at Delaware Park.

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