RED SMITH S. | PURSE: $250,000 | 3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP | GRADE 2 | 1 1/8-MILES (TURF)
After being given a perfect trip by veteran rider Cornelio Velasquez, Canadian shipper Dynamic Sky held on late to get the money in Saturday's Grade 3, $250,000 Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct.
Trained by Mark Casse for John Oxley, Dynamic Sky broke alertly and settled in mid-pack along the rail in the 1 3/8-mile turf event, as Micromanage led the field through splits of :25 4/5, :50 4/5 and 1:16 3/5 over the yielding ground.
Rounding the far turn, second choice Legendary inherited the lead, but was quickly overtaken by long shot Margano at the top of the stretch, as Dynamic Sky and Velasquez dove to the rail for running room. When a seam opened, Dynamic Sky burst through and kicked clear in the lane, with enough left to hold off the oncoming 4-5 favorite Big Blue Kitten.
The decision reversed the outcome of the Canadian International, run a month earlier at Woodbine, in which Big Blue Kitten finished ahead of Dynamic Sky by two lengths. The two finished second and third, respectively.
"(The Canadian International) was a really tough race, obviously," said Kathryn Sullivan, assistant to Casse. "He got a great trip today, and everything seemed to come together for him.
"He didn't have the best start in the International, which put him behind in the race, but today everything went exactly as planned. Cornelio took him off the pace a little bit and had him sitting perfectly. When that hole opened, he just went right on through and had a ton of horse. It was perfect; you couldn't ask for a better trip."
Dynamic Sky completed the distance in 2:18 4/5, and returned $14.20 to win.
Multiple Grade 1 winner Big Blue Kitten, who stays in training next year, finished second with Margano, a full brother to 2006 Kentucky Derby hero Barbaro, in third. They were followed under the line by Unitarian, Legendary, St. Albans Boy, Calvados, Can'thelpbelieving, Manighar and Micromanage. Red Rifle was scratched.
This was the first graded stakes win for Dynamic Sky, whose previous stakes tallies include a pair of restricted stakes at Woodbine, the 2012 Simcoe and 2013 Plate Trial, as well as the 2013 Pasco at Tampa Bay Downs.
Dynamic Sky has been stakes-placed nine other times, including the 2012 Breeders' Futurity, 2013 Queen's Plate and Sam F. Davis, and the Canadian International, Northern Dancer Turf, Nijinsky, and Singspiel earlier this year. His record now stands at 20-5-4-5, $938,797.
Bred in Ontario by Arosa Farms, Dynamic Sky sold in Canada as a yearling for $25,242. He was produced by Murani, a stakes-winning daughter of Distorted Humor and half-sister to Grade 3-placed stakes-winning producer Splasha. Both Murani and Splasha were reared by the multiple stakes-winning Grand Splash.
Also hailing from this extended family is Grade 3 winner Dual Elements and Top Decile, recent runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and Alcibiades.