BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Stakes-placed in each of her previous four tries against added-money company, Florida-bred Sassy Beast broke through with a black-type victory in the $150,000 Andy Guest at Colonial Downs at odds of 14-1 Saturday. Owned and trained by Angel M. Rodriguez, who claimed her for Frank Carl Calabrese for $20,000 out of a winning effort in May of 2021, Sassy Beast led from start to finish through fractions of :21.89 and :44.85 with jockey David Caruso to win by three-quarters of a length.

Can’t Buy Love was second, two lengths in front of 6-5 favorite Train to Artemus in third. Florida-bred Talkin Tipsy was fourth followed, in order, by Lemos Cunha, Rambert, Moor Strength, Florida-bred Fulminate, Kotyle, Repassado and Florida-bred Trevess. Get the Candy was scratched.

Sassy Beast paid $30.80 to win while finishing five-and-a-half furlongs on the firm outer turf in 1:02.65.

Sassy Beast was third three times in stakes including in the $100,000 FTBOA City of Ocala Florida Sire Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in December when making her first start under the ownership of Rodriguez. She was then third in both the $75,000 Orleans at Delta Downs on Jan. 6 and in the $100,000 Lightning City at Tampa Bay on Feb. 18 before finishing second in the $60,000 Spotted Horse at Evangeline on April 7. The well-traveled mare then won an optional claiming $20,000 starter allowance at Gulfstream in April and a $30,000 optional claiming at Evangeline in May before two more third-place finishes at Gulfstream and Mountaineer Casino Racetrack in June just prior to the Andy Guest.

“I rode [Sassy Beast] at Evangeline a few starts ago and she was good,” Cardoso said. “But today she showed me everything she is capable of doing. She is a different horse on the turf. When I asked her for something, she gave me everything she had.”

Sassy Beast improved her record to eight wins in 19 career starts with two seconds and seven thirds with earnings of $277,110. She is by Ocala Stud stallion The Big Beast out of the stakes-place mare I’mclassyandsassy, by Master Command and was bred in Florida by Alex and JoAnn Lieblong.

I’mclassyandsassy has six starters, all winners, from eight foals including stakes-placed Family Biz, by Fed Biz. Sassy Beast is a full sister to stakes-placed Big and Classy, an unnamed 2-year-old colt and an unnamed yearling filly. I’mclassyandsassy has a weanling colt by Violence and was purchased by Ocala Stud for $85,000 in November at the Keeneland Breeding Stock Sale.