Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
For Miss Sky Warrior, no fanfare is no problem
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – On the West Coast, a 3-yearold filly who won her fourth straight race Saturday – and her third straight graded stakes – is the latest rage in American racing.
On the East Coast, a 3-yearold filly won her fourth straight race Saturday – and her third straight graded stakes – and all you hear is crickets.
Kelly Breen, who trains Miss Sky Warrior here in the East for owner and breeder Arlene London of Boca Raton, Fla., doesn’t much care that his stable star is receiving a fraction of the hype that Unique Bella is getting out West.
“She does what she has to do,” Breen said the morning after Miss Sky Warrior won the Grade 2 Davona Dale on the big Fountain of Youth card Saturday at Gulfstream Park. “They might not be pretty wins, but to win back to back is hard enough in horse racing, let alone four in a row. She’s pretty close to my heart. To me and the owner, that’s all that matters.”
Just like Unique Bella, who won the Santa Ysabel on Saturday at Santa Anita to further her lofty reputation, Miss Sky Warrior lost her career debut before reeling off four straight victories. Before Saturday, her stakes wins came in the Grade 3 Tempted and Grade 2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct last year.
Sent away as the 2-1 favorite in a full gate of 14 in the onemile Davona Dale, Miss Sky Warrior stalked the pace under Paco Lopez before proceeding to grind out a half-length triumph, earning an 81 Beyer Speed Figure.
Breen said afterward that Lopez has suggested he use blinkers on the filly to improve her focus, but Breen won’t make that change, at least not for her next start. The Gulfstream Oaks, the Gazelle at Aqueduct, and the Ashland at Keeneland are all under consideration as a final prep for the May 5 Kentucky Oaks, Breen said.
“She came out of the race great,” Breen said. “We’ll see how her energy level is when we get her back to the track. I guess if something were to go awry, we might put blinkers on her because she does get to loafing when she makes the lead. The thing is, she might know she only has to do so much. I don’t know if that’s a bad thing. She’s done it in the past, too, where she’s looking around and her ears are going forward and back.”
While Unique Bella was the even-money favorite in the Kentucky Oaks futures pool offered Feb. 24-26 by Churchill Downs, Miss Sky Warrior was dismissed at 52-1. Unique Bella, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, has been visually sensational while earning superior Beyers.
“That’s okay,” Breen said. “I guess we’ll really have to step it up if we’re lucky enough to run against Unique Bella in the Oaks. In the meantime, it’s a lot of fun having a filly of this caliber.”
Leparoux has big Saturday
Julien Leparoux has had big days before, but he can’t exactly remember the last one. Leparoux rode four winners here Saturday, including three in graded stakes: Dream Dancing in the Here comes the bride, Bird Song in the Fred Hooper, and Heart to Heart in the Canadian Turf.
“I don’t remember the last time I had 11 mounts in a day or won four,” Leparoux said. “It was fun and exciting though. Big days like that, with good races and good horses – I’m lucky to be able to ride them. I love those days.”
Leparoux is scheduled to travel Saturday to Tampa Bay Downs, where the Oldsmar, Fla., track will host its annual showcase event, the Tampa Bay Derby. Like many others in the Gulfstream jockey colony, Leparoux will leave after the championship meet ends April 2 for the spring meet at Keeneland, where he has won or tied for 11 riding titles.
◗ All-sources wagering handle on the 13-race Fountain of Youth card was nearly $26.7 million, up almost 9 percent from the comparable date last year, when a 13-race card attracted $24.3 million.
“Our fans, horses, and horsemen made it a very special day,” said P.J. Campo, general manager and vice president of racing.
◗ Twin $75,000 turf sprints highlight the coming weekend at Gulfstream, with the Silks Run and Captiva Island both set for Saturday. The next graded stakes here is the Grade 2 Inside Information on March 18, and the next major date is Florida Derby Day, April 1.