Sand Drift rolls: Treasure Beach off to quick start

Sand Drift wasted little time getting Treasure Beach his first winner of 2019, coming from out of the clouds in a one-mile race over the Gulfstream Park grass yesterday to break her maiden in style. In just her second start, at odds of 21-1, the filly owned and bred by former FTBOA president Leverett Miller and his wife, Linda, was off slowly under Luca Panici, and was listed on the Daily Racing Form chart as being 12 1/2 lengths behind the leaders at the half. It looked like more to the naked eye.

Panici swung her five wide on the final turn and Sand Drift put it in overdrive, with announcer Pete Aiello bellowing, “Sand Drift is really rolling now.” She rolled past the pack as if the others were standing still and wound up with a 2 1/4-length victory and a check for $19,600 plus a breeders’ award for the Millers. In the first four days of the new year, Treasure Beach has already racked up $34,462 in progeny earnings.