Sky Classic Stakes (Grade 2)- $200.000 Purse
WO- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Quarter on the Turf
August 21, 2016
Sunday will be a great racing day at WO, and one of the race on the schedule is the 11th running of the Sky Classic Stakes, a Grade 2 event for older turf distance horses. The race will precede the $500.000 Breeders Stakes, which is exclusive to Canadians, and there are some similarities between the two races, as two of the biggest past winners of that three year old race, went on to win this race a year, or two years later after. For this race, the list of prior winners is pretty impressive given its comparatively lower purse as the likes of The Maestro, Sky Rocket (twice), Snippets, Rockefella, as well as the two Breeders Stakes winners, Turon Warrior and Stealth Fighter, are all on that list. The Maestro, who won the first edition, is the only three year old to have won the race, and given how things have been in our virtual world lately, we may be due for our second such three year old winner. A field of eight will be going to the gate, highlighted by War Scent, so let’s take a look!
#1- Stormy Passing (C.R. Racing, ridden by L Contreras)- This six year old gelding is in the best form of his career and has scored two graded wins so far this year. One of them came in his last start, when he won the Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes on this race track last month, while earning a 103 SRF. As good as that win was, that earns him a couple extra pounds to carry for this race, and overall he’s going to be carrying six more pounds then the ambitious three year olds in this field. Stormy Passing will be ready to run, and has never been better, but weight seems like such a big deal in our virtual world right now. Trainer is very quietly having an outstanding 2016, in general.
#2- Roger The Australian (Threshold, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- After watching and detailing many stakes for us that have seen three year olds dominate the older horses for quite some time, Threshold certainly knows the weight differential here can be advantageous for Roger The Australian. In April, he ran against some of the best horses of his division, and would be fifth in the FL Derby. After being a beaten favorite in a couple races, he made his turf debut last month in the $100.000 Crowd Pleaser for PA-breds, and narrowly missed victory there. He should still have plenty upside, and this is a big test here. I am concerned about this distance for him, when he’s run almost as long, he was a non-factor, but at the same time, he was up against Compress, Ned Isakoff, and other stars that day.
#3- A Little Influence (The Sidley Stud, ridden by R M Hernandez)- Finished off a solid two year old season by running in the BC Juvenile Turf last year, though would be a non-factor, and it would take some time this year before he was back and running against the best. He did get an optional claimer win early this year, but only in late May was he back running in the graded level. He didn’t only return, either, but would end up winning the Grade 3 AP Classic and turning the tables on BC Juvenile Turf winning Icicle Dawn, who by the way, bounced back and won the Grade 3 American Derby. A Little Influence found himself in very strong company in his last start, so that seventh place run at the King Edward BC Stakes is likely better then the line looks in the past performances. Distance is a concern here as well. Yes, he’s run longer once, but that wasn’t one of his better races and it was against a field not as good as this one.
#4- So Much Pluck (Sanny Village, ridden by J I Alderson)- This four year old gelding ran in last year’s Sky Classic, and had his picture taken with the winning Turon Warrior at the end in a strong second place showing. Unfortunately for the trainer, he could not follow that up well in his next start, which was none other then the prestigious Pattison right here at WO. He was 12th in that race, and the trainer opted not to bring him right back to the track. So Much Pluck ended up sitting out quite a bit of time, and would only reappear this July, nine months later. In his tune up allowance, he came from behind to win. Now he returns to running against the best abd is a very intriguing option in this field.
#5- War Scent (Mb Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- If it was not necessary to strongly consider the impact of carried weight in races like this, then War Scent would seem like the horse to beat in here. He may still be, anyway, and this is a horse that needs to get back to the winners circle. Last year, as a four year old, a strong season was highlighted by winning the $600.000 Hirsch Turf Classic (Grade 1), and then a month later he would go to the BC Turf, and finish third. The sky should have been the limit off of that, but 2016 has been slow for War Scent, as he has only one once. That was in a TAM optional claimer in Feburary, and a race where he only had to beat two others. He’s finished well in a few races since then, and was third in the Grade 3 Stars And Stripes at AP last month. He has often gone longer, and quite frankly, this should be his race to win. But, we have to always consider weight as older horses are having a tough time against younger right now.
#6- General White (Eastern Equine, ridden by F Pennington)- It is very good to see one of the horses that I had to sell when I sold out two years ago go on to have a career like this. While I did breed General White, I never had the time to really test him, and put him into private sales for $25.000, then lowered it to $20.000 in August of 2014 as I sold my stock. There was no one interested in those sale prices at the time, and he soon went to the auction where Bigking picked him up for $2.940. Bigking pointed him in the right direction, and General White went on to have a fantastic three year old season that included a win in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby. Soon after the win, Bigking cashed out much better then I had, getting $500.000 from Eastern Equine last November. With the new trainer, he’s continued to run against the best at a competitive level, but has finished no better then third. He’s due for a big win, and maybe his breeder covering his race will be a good omen for that. I’m putting him on top, perhaps in a somewhat biased manner.
#7- Cju (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by E J Wilson)- The autogen began racing late, not making his debut until September of his three year old season, although that is logical when we look at his “breeding month”. As a three year old, he got off to a modest start, but it would not be until this year where he would begin to show his true ability. In March, he ran second in the $125.000 Stymie, then a month later, he would score another runner up finish in the Grade 2 OP Handicap. Later on, in late May, he would finally pick up his first graded win, that coming in the Grade 3 LS Handicap. All of those races, however, have been on the main track, but you have to like how Cju has always seemed to perform whenever the trainer has tried something a little different with him. He is bred to go long, so I am not worried about the distance, but I do wonder how he will make this transition to the grass.
#8- Broomstick Rattler (John Henry, ridden by G Boulanger)- This is another one picked up by John Henry via the private sale as the trainer looks to become a force within our game. The price for Broomstick Rattler was $50.000 from Blushing Meadows, so regardless of how he runs here, that was a good purchase. This will be the first race in his new silks, and it’s his second graded stake. The race that gets my attention is the one two back, when he won at CD going a little longer then he will today, though against not against the competition he sees here as that was the best race of his career to this point. If he can build on that here, as a three year old, he can certainly be the youngster that steps up and takes home the win.
Prediction: 6-2-5-3
— NS
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
