Sombeyay rallies to take Grade 3 Sanford S.

Into Mischief’s Sombeyay found his best stride in the final furlong of Saturday’s Sanford S. (G3) to best Strike Silver by a neck in the 100th running of the historic Saratoga race for 2-year-olds.

The winner is Into Mischief’s 17th lifetime graded stakes winner and his fifth this year, joining the likes of Florida Derby (G1) winner Audible and Eight Belles S. (G2) heroine Mia Mischief.

Early on, Sombeyay was caught between horses in the early stages, was guided to the three path by Javier Castellano with about three furlongs to run. In the clear at the top of the stretch, he set sights on Strike Silver and got up just in time.

The final time for the six panels wias 1:10.35 on a fast main track.

“It was perfect. He broke good out of the gate and put me in the right position,” Castellano said. “Today, I didn’t want to be too far back. It worked out the way we wanted today. He’s a good come-from-behind horse. It was very satisfying.”

“I think the (Grade 1) Hopeful would be the next step with three starts under his belt,” added trainer Todd Pletcher. “If he’s tearing the barn down, we’ll see.”

Sombeyay, who broke his maiden in his debut, then finished second in the Tremont S., is now 2-1-0 and has earned $136,500 for Starlight Racing, who purchased the colt for $230,000 out of the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling sale.