by Jeff Apel

Desert Party impressed jockey Edgar Prado while earning a 3 1/4-length win in the $142,500 Sanford Stakes (G2) on Thursday at Saratoga Race Course.

“He was very responsive,” Prado said. “He came running out of the gate and relaxed beautifully. When I pressed the pedal again, he was there for me.”

A $2.1-million purchase by John Ferguson, chief bloodstock adviser to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, at the 2008 Fasig-Tipton Calder sale of selected two-year-olds in training, Desert Party responded to hand urging in the stretch from Prado and remained unbeaten in two career starts. The Street Cry (Ire) colt entered off a 3 3/4-length debut win on Arlington Park’s synthetic Polytrack surface on June 22.

Three horses were scratched, reducing the field of two-year-olds in the Sanford to four. Desert Party was positioned near the inside rail at the start, tracked runner-up Officer Ipod in second through an opening quarter in :22.78, and dropped back to last through a half-mile in :46.66.

Prado was forced to back off with Desert Party because of a lack of running room inside of Officer Ipod.

“I had a pretty anxious moment on the turn,” trainer Eoin Harty said. “I thought I’d lost all chance there.

“I was lucky a little bit on the [clubhouse] turn,” Prado said. “But he’s that kind of horse, you know? It was just a matter of time when I could find a hole.

“Even if the rail didn’t open up, I think he still would have won the race.”

Desert Party quickly moved up and gained command in the stretch. Leading by one length in early stretch, the bay colt continued to increase his advantage on Officer Ipod in the closing strides and won the six-furlong race in 1:12.23 on a muddy track.

Officer Ipod finished three-quarters of a length clear of third-place finisher Vineyard Haven.

Harty mentioned the $250,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1), a seven-furlong race for two-year-olds on September 1 at Saratoga, as the next possible start for Desert Party.

“I like this horse,” Prado said. “I like the way he came back. He wasn’t blowing too much. I like those kind of horses. He really acted like an old pro. For only running one time, he handled everything very well.”

Desert Party increased his earnings to $106,800. Bred in Kentucky by David Smith and Steven Sinatra, Desert Party is one of three winners from four starters out of the winning Tabasco Cat mare Sage Cat.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Jeff Apel is a Thoroughbred Times assistant daily news editor