OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After winning his first three starts in relatively easy fashion, Sacrosanct showed Saturday he could get into a street brawl and still win. After dueling outside of Bold Fortune through a sharp half-mile and ultimately putting that one away, Sacrosanct was able to fend off a stretch run from National Identity to win $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series for 2-year-olds by a head at Aqueduct and remain undefeated. National Identity finished second by 2 3/4 lengths over Smilensaycheese, who was five lengths clear of a hard-luck Soontobeking who steadied behind his stablemate Bold Fortune in midstretch. Twohonestmischief finished fifth followed by Buttah, Bold Fortune, and Missing Rocks. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Friend Ofthe Devil and Man in Finance scratched. The win was the fourth in as many starts for Sacrosanct, a son of Honest Mischief owned by Lady Sheila Stable, Net Birdie LLC and Schwing Thoroughbreds and trained by Brad Cox. The victory was the first of a stakes double for first-year stallion Honest Mischief who also sired Stone Smuggler, winner of the $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the NYSS for 2-year-old fillies. Honest Mischief stands for $7,500 at Sequel Stallions in Hudson, New York. Sacrosanct won his first three starts by a combined 16 3/4 lengths, including a 12-length score in the Bertram F. Bongard Stakes in September. In the Great White Way, Sacrosanct was again facing Bold Fortune, a horse he beat handily when both debuted at Saratoga in August, but one who had come back to win his next two starts. Under Kendrick Carmouche, Bold Fortune outbroke Sacrosanct for the lead. Manny Franco, on Sacrosanct, was content to let Bold Fortune go so that he could get Sacrosanct off the inside and into an outside stalking position. Sacrosanct was within a half-length of Bold Fortune through a half-mile in 45.01 seconds. At the three-sixteenths pole, Sacrosanct got away from Bold Fortune but was confronted by National Identity who was flying under Kendrick Carmouche. But Sacrosanct had more to give and beat National Identity to the wire. Sacrosanct covered the seven furlongs in 1:24.10 and returned $3.10 as the favorite. “I knew [Bold Fortune] was the speed, he was faster than me out of there so I let him clear me and I went [outside] right away,” Franco said. “I didn’t want to let [Bold Fortune] get away from me. When the other horse came to me, I fought already, so let’s see if he gives me another gear and he was game. He didn’t want to lose today.” Carmouche, on National Identity, said his horse hung a little bit when he got to the throatlatch of Sacrosanct. “I really think he’s a good six-furlong horse,” Carmouche said. “He [came to him] so easy and he just stayed there. The other horse was the best horse. When I hooked him, you could see he was going to fight back with me. Second best today.” The hard-luck horse was Soontobeking who made a huge rally from last under Javier Castellano but had to steady sharply at the eighth pole when his tiring George Weaver-trained stablemate drifted over on him with Dylan Davis aboard. “I thought I could have won the race if he would have gone through,” Castellano said. “That’s disappointing. I think [Davis] is a good rider, but he didn’t have horse and he kept hitting the horse right-handed and came in. He should have wrapped up and kept him straight.” Fifth Avenue Trainer Jorge Abreu expressed some concern about Stone Smuggler’s ability to get seven furlongs in the $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the NYSS. But Stone Smuggler, under Jose Lezcano, took advantage of her outside and a contested pace to record a 1 3/4-length over the late-running maiden Material Girl. Material Girl was second by a neck over Princess Mischief. It was a 1 1/4 lengths back to Boston’s Phinest, the 8-5 favorite, in fourth. D’s a Rock was fifth followed by Mischief Lady, Storm Changer, Bam’s Bliss Kiss, Blossoming Erudite, and Stunning Sugar. Idyll Gossip scratched. The win was the second from four starts for Stone Smuggler, a daughter of Honest Mischief owned by NY Final Furlong Racing and Sunset Ridge Racing Stable and trained by Jorge Abreu. Her only two defeats came to the unbeaten New York-bred With the Angels. Saturday, Stone Smuggler broke on top leaving from post 11, but Lezcano quickly took her in hand when the quintet of Bam’s Bliss Kiss, Stunning Sugar, Mischief Lady, Blossoming Erudite and D’s a Rock all went for the lead. After a half-mile in 46.59 seconds, just Bam’s Bliss Kiss and Mischief Lady remained on the pace while Lezcano had moved Stone Smuggler into fourth. Stone Smuggler took over in mid-stretch, found another gear when she switched leads and won fairly handily. “I was concerned about the seven-eighths, but Jose rode a great race,” Abreu said. “I told Jose, there’s a lot of speed inside of us, just use it to your advantage. We have a great post, so just park outside whoever’s on the lead.” Stone Smuggler covered the seven furlongs in 1:24.90 and returned $7.80 as the second choice. Stone Smuggler was one of four progeny by Honest Mischief purchased by NY Final Furlong Stable, according to its managing partner Daniel Zanatta. “They were all really balanced – maybe a little shorter-legged horses – but they all had tremendous hips, great girths, great toplines and great walking motion,” Zanatta said. “We love New York-sired horses to go after because typically we can afford to buy the best ones.” Abreu said Stone Smuggler would ship him to Florida to train but would most likely return to New York for the $125,000 East View Stakes going seven furlongs on Feb. 8. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.