After the Auction: Super Sky

As an avid fan of sales with possible aspirations to become an adviser/bloodstock agent, auctions are one of my favorite topics to write about on Past the Grandstand. “After the Auctions” feature horses I selected in sales that have found success after the sale. 

Princess Arabella only raced three times, but she made her brief career count, winning all three of those starts – including the Sunland Park Oaks – by a combined fifteen lengths. An injury forced her early retirement, preventing her continued display of brilliance. The racing world will never know how truly talented she was, but it does have the opportunity to enjoy the blossoming of her younger half-sister, Super Sky.

At this year’s Keeneland April Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, Super Sky impressed me with the effortlessness with which she completed her 10 1/5-second breeze. This, combined with her notable pedigree, allowed her to become one of my twenty-five selections for the sale, at which she sold for $235,000.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber, Super Sky – a fancy chestnut who boasts unique white markings – debuted in late July at the prestigious Saratoga meet, encountering seven adversaries in a five and one-half turf dash for maidens. After breaking in the air and coming into slight contact with a nearby rival, Super Sky was left at the rear of the field – which left her at a severe disadvantage. Displaying greenness that is to be expected from a two-year-old first-time starter, Super Sky finished well to cross the wire in third.

A month later, Super Sky returned in a maiden special weight of the same conditions and was sent off as the heavy favorite in a field of seven. Exiting the gate in a much cleaner manner on this occasion, the chestnut filly tracked the brisk pace while racing on the outside and after encountering minor trouble around the turn, Super Sky rallied down the stretch, but could not match the winner, finishing ¾ lengths behind the winner to end up second.

Making her third career start in October at Keeneland, Super Sky made her first start on an all-weather surface, stretching out to seven furlongs. In the pouring rain, Super Sky broke well and went to the front before settling along the rail behind the leaders. Racing over the wet Polytrack, Super Sky remained in her position along the inside as the rain came down heavily from the sky. Around the bend, jockey John Velazquez began to ask the Todd Pletcher-trained filly for her run, to which Super Sky responded with a surge as she shot through an opening on the rail as the field turned for home. Super Sky began to draw away down the lane, extending her advantage as she left her opponents behind her to score by an easy 3 ½ lengths.

Pedigree Analysis

Unlike her half-sister, Princess Arabella (a daughter of Any Given Saturday), Super Sky is a daughter of Sky Mesa. A grade one winner at two and grade one-placed at three, Sky Mesa is the sire of the grade one winners General Quarters and Sky Diva, as well as the additional graded stakes winners Skylighter, Storm Mesa, Terrain, and Thiskyhasnolimit. The Three Chimneys Farm stallion crosses particularly well with mares from the Mr. Prospector sire line, as this cross has produced some of his best progeny, including Sky Diva and four more of Sky Mesa’s graded stakes winners.

This bodes well for Super Sky, as her dam, Tortuga Lady, is from the Mr. Prospector line, being a daughter of the legendary sire’s Kentucky Derby (GI) and Belmont Stakes (GI)-winning grandson, Thunder Gulch. In addition to producing Princess Arabella and Super Sky, Tortuga Lady is also the dam of the graded stakes-placed Dyna’s Lassie and the stakes-placed Cairo Six. As a daughter of Thunder Gulch, she provides her offspring with the same broodmare sire as the grade one winner Star Billing, in addition to the graded stakes winners Crown of Thorns, Daddy Nose Best, and Five Iron. Tortuga Lady is a full sister to Invisible Ink, runner-up in the 2001 Kentucky Derby, and from the same family as Quadrangle, winner of the 1964 Belmont Stakes (GI) and Travers Stakes (GI). 

Oaks Contender: Princess Arabella

The sun was setting on the year of 2011 as a chestnut filly paraded before the grandstand at Santa Anita Park in Peachtree Stable’s silks. In minutes, a maiden special weight for juvenile fillies, who the next day would be declared three-year-olds, would be run. It was their last chance to get a victory as a two-year-old. The chestnut filly carrying the purple colors of Peachtree was one of only two first-time starters in the field, but was certainly the most highly-regarded filly entered, as she went off at even-money.

After breaking slowly, Princess Arabella gained on the leaders with every stride, always growing closer to the lead. Under Martin Garcia, the Bob Baffert trainee swung wide on the far turn, floating effortlessly to a victory that resulted in a final winning margin of 3 ½ lengths. By the end of the six-furlong race, many people were talking about Princess Arabella. Lofty hopes and dreams were already pinned to her.

With the champion two-year-old filly of 2011, My Miss Aurelia, out of the picture with sore shins and arguably the best California juvenile filly, Weemissfrankie, also out with an injury, many Kentucky Oaks (GI) dreams found their way to Princess Arabella. She was just a maiden winner, but when she loaded into the starting gate on February 12, 2012 in an allowance race at Santa Anita, those dreams had a chance to expand.

Princess Arabella did not disappoint. The distance of her second start was just one furlong longer than her debut, so the chestnut filly would still only be racing around one turn. In a field of five, Princess Arabella found herself in third for most of the race before striking to the lead under light urging to gallop to another 3 ½-length victory.

Talk of the Kentucky Oaks regarding Princess Arabella heated up. Baffert pointed the filly to the Sunland Park Oaks, the same race that Plum Pretty won by 25 lengths in 2011 before triumphing in the Kentucky Oaks. Facing stakes company for the first time, Princess Arabella used a new tactic, breaking like a rocket from the starting gate to find the lead in her first try around two turns. She did not look back from there, going on to effortlessly win the mile and one-sixteenth race by 8 lengths.

With her remarkably easy win, Princess Arabella likely stamped herself as the current favorite for the Kentucky Oaks. There are still just less forty days until the prestigious race for sophomore fillies, but this filly, who I have followed since nearly the beginning of her career, has clearly declared herself to be one of the most talented three-year-old fillies in the nation. Princess Arabella has not yet faced very tough horses, but in winning the Sunland Park Oaks, she defeated the stakes-winning and graded stakes-placed Glinda the Good, the stakes-winning horses Take Me Away Today and Regal Betty, and the stakes-placed Ize in Trouble. By easily defeating Glinda the Good, she effortlessly conquered a filly who faced one of the top-rated sophomore fillies in the nation, On Fire Baby.

Her pedigree suggests that she will also have no trouble getting the nine-furlong distance of the Oaks. She is by Any Given Saturday, the winner of the 2007 Haskell Invitational (GI, 9F), the Brooklyn Handicap (GII, 9F), and the Dwyer Stakes (GII, 8.5F). Princess Arabella is a member of his first crop, which includes horses that have already been proven at races at one mile or longer. For instance, his daughter, Sunday’s Child, is a black-type winner at one mile on the grass, and his son, Saturday Launch, is an allowance optional claiming winner over one mile on the turf at Gulfstream. Any Given Saturday is by Distorted Humor, who can obviously produce distances horses. He is, of course, the sire of the Belmont Stakes (GI, 12F)- and Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI, 10F)-winning Drosselmeyer, the Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship Stakes (GI, 10F)- and San Luis Rey (GII, 12F)-winning Fourty Niners Son, and the Kentucky Derby (GI, 10F)- and Preakness Stakes (GI, 9.5F)-winning Funny Cide.

Princess Arabella’s dam, Tortuga Lady, is by the 1995 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes-winning Thunder Gulch and out of a Conquistador Cielo (also a Belmont winner) mare. In addition to producing Princess Arabella, Tortuga Lady has produced the filly’s half-sister, Dyna’s Lassie, a stakes winner and multiple stakes-placed mare. Tortuga Lady is full sister to the late Invisible Ink, third-place finisher in the 2001 Florida Derby (GI) and runner-up in that year’s Kentucky Derby.

Princess Arabella descends from female family two, the same family that has produced the great champions Busted, Cigar, Go for Wand, Northern Dancer, Phar Lap, Secretariat, and With Approval. Recent family two stars include Dreaming of Anna, Giacomo, Gio Ponti, Kitten’s Joy, Point Given, and Shackleford.

This filly could certainly be on an ascent to stardom. With her sheer talent and promising pedigree, Princess Arabella packs undeniable potential to not only become a graded stakes winner or even the Kentucky Oaks winner, but a fan favorite. She has not yet been tested and is already beginning to capture the hearts of racing fans. This excitement is only aided by her flawless race record. Princess Arabella could very well go on to do great things and produce a huge fan base along the way.


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Sophomore Fillies Roundup

The trend for the past several years in racing has been girl power. Racing fans have enjoyed watching Black Caviar, Blind Luck, Goldikova, Havre de Grace, Rags to Riches, Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta, and many others. It looks as if this trend will continue, as 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace is returning, 2011 Champion Three-Year-Old Filly Royal Delta is preparing for a great year that should include the Dubai World Cup (GI), and 2010 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Awesome Feather looks to remain perfect after her dominating win in the Florida Sunshine Millions Distaff.

But what about the three-year-old fillies of 2012? Two of the top newly-turned three-year-old fillies – 2011 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly My Miss Aurelia and two-time grade one-winning Weemissfrankie – are out due to injuries. We must turn our attention to other sophomore fillies, including the ones listed below.

Agave Kiss: She has raced solely in New York and only one of her starts has not been against restricted company. However, she has been very dominant. Her first two starts – a state-bred maiden special weight at Belmont and a state-bred allowance at Aqueduct – were won by a combined winning margin of 16 ¾ lengths. Agave Kiss’ initial start against open company came in the Ruthless Stakes at Aqueduct, which she won by 3 ¼ lengths. She is by Lion Heart – winner of the Hollywood Futurity (GI, 8.5F) and the Haskell Invitational Handicap (GI, 9F) and runner-up in the Kentucky Derby (GI, 10F) – and out of the one-mile Delta Princess Stakes winner and Santa Ysabel Stakes (GIII, 8.5) runner-up, Salty Romance. She is inbred 5 X 5 to both Northern Dancer and Raise a Native. Her connections may not plan to run her much outside of New York, but I feel that it would be very exciting to see her race outside of the Big Apple. For more on Agave Kiss, please read my articles here and here.

Applauding: One of the most impressive fillies on this list, Applauding caused jaws to drop when she debuted at Keeneland in October. In that race, she sat off the pace before sweeping to the lead as the field neared the top of the stretch. She never looked back from there, winning the race by 9 lengths in a track record time of 1:07.76 for six furlongs. She made her second start in early December at the Fair Grounds in a six-furlong first-level allowance. After leading from start to finish, Applauding crossed the wire six lengths in front. She was entered in the Silverbulletday Stakes at the Fair Grounds for January 21, but was scratched due to a small bout of colic. By an A.P. Indy son in Congrats and out of a Forestry mare, Applauding definitely has spectacular bloodlines. She is on track for the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) on March 31.

Broadway’s Alibi: This filly made her first two starts in maiden special weights at Delaware Park, finishing second by a length in her debut before dominating her second start by seven lengths. She did not start for another three months, when she triumphed by five lengths in a six and one-half-furlong allowance optional claiming at Gulfstream Park. She then tried graded stakes company in the seven-furlong Forward Gal Stakes (GII) at Gulfstream on January 29, bounding home to win by an astounding 16 ¾ lengths over a sloppy track. There is doubt in her ability to stretch out, as her sire, Vindication, has primarily been a sire of sprinters and her dam, the graded stakes-winning Strawberry Reason, only won at the distance of a mile and one-sixteenth. Perhaps routing will not be to her liking, but I expect that Broadway’s Alibi will continue to be impressive.

Eden’s Moon: In mid-December, Eden’s Moon made her debut at Hollywood Park, finishing 2 ¼ lengths behind the future Santa Ynez Stakes (GII) winner, Reneesgotzip. She made her first three-year-old start three weeks later, leading from start to finish and winning by an outstanding 11 ½ lengths. By a son of A.P. Indy in Malibu Moon and out of a Giant’s Causeway mare, her pedigree suggests that she will have no trouble with routing. It also helps that her fifth dam – Pange – is a Reine De Course mare who produced the champion Prince Royal II and is the granddam of the ill-fated but great Landaluce. Trainer Bob Baffert scratched her from the Santa Ysabel Stakes (GIII) on January 28.

Grace Hall: Prior to her second-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI), Grace Hall was undefeated. However, being defeated by My Miss Aurelia was not a disgrace. Now that My Miss Aurelia is out, Grace Hall finds herself at the top of many lists as far as sophomore fillies are concerned. After a three-length maiden victory at Delaware Park, she traveled to Saratoga to take the Spinaway Stakes (GI) by nearly two lengths. She then returned to Delaware for her final win of 2011: an effortless victory in the Blue Hen Stakes. Grace Hall is by the Belmont Stakes-winning Empire Maker and out of the Irish-bred stakes-winning mare Season’s Greetings. Tracing back to horses such as Seattle Slew, Riva Ridge, and the Reine De Course mare Comely Nell, it doesn’t seem as if long distances will be a problem for Grace Hall. Trainer Tony Dutrow is preparing her for a start in the Davona Dale Stakes (GII) at Gulfstream on February 25.

Killer Graces: Following a nose defeat in her maiden special weight debut, Killer Graces captured two ungraded stakes at Hollywood Park. After two disappointing finishes in Del Mar graded stakes races, the chestnut filly finished second in a pair of ungraded stakes. She then garnered her first grade one victory in the Hollywood Starlet Stakes (GI), in which her smooth stride carried her to a half-length victory. Her most recent start came on January 28 in the Santa Ysabel Stakes (GIII) and when the winner got an easy lead, it made it difficult for Killer Graces to keep up, which led to her second-place finish. By the multiple grade one-winning Congaree and out of an Old Trieste mare, Killer Graces definitely has plenty of speed and stamina in her pedigree. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is preparing her for a start in the Las Virgenes Stakes (GI) at Santa Anita on March 3.

Now I Know: Undefeated in six starts, Now I Know won her first four starts at Remington Park by a combined 17 ½ lengths. One of those wins was a 9 ¼-length victory in the state-bred Oklahoma Classics Lassie Stakes. After that win, she made her first start outside of Oklahoma at Delta Downs in the Delta Downs Princess Stakes (GIII), which she won by 4 lengths. She made her sophomore debut on January 14 in the Dixie Belle Stakes at Oaklawn Park, holding off Amie’s Dini to win by 1 ¼ lengths. By a son of Storm Cat in the 2002 Kentucky Cup Classic Handicap (GII, 9F) winner Pure Prize and out of a Maria’s Mon mare in Now U Know, Now I Know definitely has an impressive pedigree. She is also very impressive on the track and is pointing toward the Martha Washington Stakes – a race that has been won by the likes of Eight Belles and Rachel Alexandra – at Oaklawn Park on February 11 for trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel, who won the race in 2006 with Brownie Points.

Princess Arabella: She has only started once, but she was incredibly impressive in that start. On New Year’s Eve, the Bob Baffert trainee debuted at Santa Anita in a six-furlong maiden special weight. After a poor break from the gate, Princess Arabella gained ground on the leaders with every stride, never decelerating. With a breathtaking move on the outside on the far turn, the chestnut filly swept to the lead with ease under very slight urging from Martin Garcia. By the Haskell winner Any Given Saturday and out of a Thunder Gulch mare, Princess Arabella’s pedigree hints that she will handle a stretch out in distance. She has many tests to pass, but she seems to have the sheer talent and pedigree that will allow her to pass with flying colors.

Reneesgotzip: After soundly defeating Eden’s Moon in her debut, Reneesgotzip tried graded stakes company in her three-year-old debut. On January 15, the chestnut filly dominated the Santa Ynez Stakes (GII) by 7 ¾ lengths, leading from start to finish to defeat five other fillies. She is by City Zip and out of a Distorted Humor mare and is inbred 3 X 4 to Northern Dancer. Trainer Peter Miller is pointing her towards the Las Virgenes Stakes (GI) at Santa Anita on March 3.

Table Three Ten: After her impressive victory in her debut at the Fair Grounds in November, this Cobra Farm-bred filly was purchased by Team Valor. She made her first start for Team Valor and trainer Graham Motion under John Velazquez – the same connections that teamed up to win the 2011 Kentucky Derby – on January 27 in an allowance race at Gulfstream. Sent off as the heavy favorite, she won the six and one-half-furlong race by 1 ¾ lengths. She is by El Prado and out of a stakes-place More Than Ready mare. She traces back to the influential Northern Dancer three times throughout her pedigree and is inbred 5 X 5 to Hail to Reason and 4 X 5 to Special. Her next start is unknown.

Twelve Folds: After two tough losses – one by a nose and one by a head – in her first two starts, Twelve Folds finally got to show the world what she was made of. In a five and one-half California-bred maiden special weight, she won by 8 ¼ lengths. Only one of her starts has been against open company, but she still performed well, finishing second by a head. By a young son of Indian Charlie in Cindago and out of a Tiger Ridge mare, Twelve Folds’ pedigree is not exactly as spectacular as some of the other fillies on this list. However, her fourth dam, Bali Babe, is the dam of 1999 Horse of the Year Charismatic and her sixth dam, Grass Shack, is a Reine De Course mare.

Willa B Awesome: The most heavily raced filly on this list, Willa B Awesome has started ten times. Three of those starts have resulted in victories, two of which were in stakes races. After a win against state-bred maidens in her debut at Hollywood Park, she tried open company in the Cinderella Stakes, finishing third behind the future grade one-winning Killer Graces. Following three unsuccessful stakes tries – two state-bred stakes and one graded stakes – at Del Mar, trainer Walther Solis shipped her to Fairplex Park for the Barrets Debutante Stakes, in which she won by nearly three lengths. After three in-the-money finishes in stakes races – two of which were against California-breds, Willa B Awesome tried graded stakes company in the Santa Ysabel Stakes (GIII) on January 28. She got in easy lead in that race and therefore was able to score by 3 ½ lengths. By a Coronado’s Quest son in Awesome Gambler, most of the appeal in Willa B Awesome’s pedigree is on her sire’s side. However, her fifth dam, Belthazar, is a Reine De Course mare and the final foal sired by the 1937 Triple Crown winner War Admiral. Willa B Awesome will need to continue to prove herself against open company, but she is without a doubt a talented filly.


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