June 12, 2016

Owner Australia Wide has been known for some very shrewd purchases in the past (Whats Up, Madhouse, Little Slick come to mind) and on Friday, another of their purchases proved their worth as Altered Skeleton, taken for $275.000 only eight days earlier, came on through the lane to score a 1.5-length win at nearly 8-1. A daughter of BEL runner-up Skeleton Key, she was already a Grade I winner on the turf coming into this event and showed her affinity for the Classic distance, scoring her first win of the season while earning $300.000 for connections that now look for bigger glory down the line.

Defending champion Volare (19.25) showed very little early speed but Vertigineux (4.95) was much more suited to leading and took a very small advantage before Mentioned Honorably (1.75) and Whiskey Wings (*1.55) moved forward to make a line of three. The latter finally backed away to let the outside starter take control and Vertigineux assumed command and got down to the fence heading into the backstretch with Mentioned Honorably right behind her. Through the first half-mile in 47.77, a pack of four had really separated themselves with the leader 1.5-lengths to the good and it looked like the biggest struggle was from Whiskey Wings, the unlikely favourite who was trying to keep pace three-wide. Six-furlongs came up in a rapid 1:11.10 and as the favourite dropped out, Altered Skeleton (7.95) assumed third and took aim at the longtime frontrunner, with the field starting to spread out more and more. Vertigineux was collared at the top of the stretch by a charging Altered Skeleton as the one-mile time of 1:34.71 showed the quickening of the pace and that also played into the hands of Volare, who tried to close the gap from last. As Altered Skeleton sprinted away, Vertigineux held her own along the rail while Volare closed out wide and that was how they finished, with 1.5-lengths separating first from second, and the same from second to third. Mentioned Honorably held fourth in a desperate finish with Condottieris Fox (9.20), who never got involved, while Whiskey Wings backed up badly to end up a well-beaten sixth in another subpar effort.

The last time Altered Skeleton raced at 1 ¼ miles, she won the Grade I Rodeo Drive at SA and with a similar stalking effort, took down the Grade II NY on a beautiful Friday afternoon card at BEL and pushed herself towards the top of the F&M Turf standings. Most of the top fillies and mares in the division will meet for glory at SAR in the Grade I Diana and this filly will certainly be there, although an option like the Grade III RGD at DEL could be viable if she hopes to keep that momentum heading to AP for the Grade I Beverly D.

Congratulations goes out to owner Australia Wide and their four-year-old filly Altered Skeleton, a clear cut winner of the Grade II NY at BEL!

Prediction                        Mentioned Honorably / Volare / Condottieris Fox

Winner                             Altered Skeleton

                                            Four-year-old bay filly

                                            Skeleton Key-Altered Victory (Party Talk)

Owner                               Australia Wide

Time                                  47.77, 1:11.10, 1:34.71, 1:58.50 (NSR)

Overall

Altered Skeleton              7.95 sat in midpack, speed around turn, driving

Vertigineux                       4.95 broke sharply, set good splits, held along fence

Volare                                 19.25 slow into stride, angled wide, up for third

Mentioned Honorably    1.75 held ground along rail

Condottieris Fox              9.20 never involved

Whiskey Wings               *1.55 minor speed, weakened badly

Triple T Racing 🙂

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES