by Ron Parker

Darley Stable’s Raw Silk sprinted to a clear early lead and never was seriously threatened on Saturday en route to her first stakes race victory in the $150,000 Sands Point Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park.

Raw Silk faced six three-year-old fillies in the 1 1/8-mile Sands Point and opened up a four-length lead under Alan Garcia through an opening quarter in :24.69.
 
Raw Silk controlled the pace for the duration of the race as the Malibu Moon filly maintained a clear advantage through six furlongs in 1:13.75 and a mile in 1:37.09. She crossed the finish line in 1:48.46 to win by 4 ¼ lengths on turf rated as good.

“The first part, she galloped around and was so relaxed,” Garcia said. “When we turned for home, I had a lot of horse left. She kept on running. She was very, very nice.”

Life Is Sweet, favored at 1.35-to-1, rallied late to finish second, a nose in front of third-place finisher I Lost My Choo.

Trained by Tom Albertrani, Raw Silk opened her three-year-old campaign with a 5 ¼-length maiden special weight victory on the turf at Aqueduct. She immediately was moved into stakes company for her next start and finished a creditable third in the Gaviola Stakes on May 8 at Belmont prior to her graded stakes debut in the Sands Point.

“The last time, she was chased,” Andy Rhem, assistant to Tom Albertrani said. “This time, she was able to settle. We actually thought the rain might help us, slow things down. Tom [Albertrani] was happy when it rained.”

Bred in Kentucky by Joseph LaCombe Stables, Raw Silk has earned $143,438 with two victories in six starts.

She is the first winner out of the winning Danehill mare Silken Sash (Ire).

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Ron Parker is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer