ALEXANDER’S HOMEBRED S Y SKY HIGH WEIGHT IN SATURDAY’S $100,000 CALIFORNIA DISTAFF

By Mike Willman —-

ALEXANDER’S HOMEBRED S Y SKY ASSIGNED HIGH WEIGHT OF 126 LBS. & HEADS SATURDAY’S $100,000 CALIFORNIA DISTAFF AT 5 ½ FURLONGS ON TURF

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 9, 2019)—Never worse than third in 15 starts, Nick Alexander’s brilliant homebred S Y Sky heads a field of six California-bred or sired fillies and mares three and up in Saturday’s $100,000 California Distaff Handicap, to be contested at 5 ½ furlongs over the Santa Anita turf.

With a solid recent stakes win over the course to her credit, Reddam Racing’s Don’t Sell poses a serious threat, as does Alexander’s other Cal Distaff entrant, Just Grazed Me, who’s been idle since winning a five furlong turf allowance at Del Mar on Aug. 14.

S Y SKY

Owner: Nick Alexander
Trainer: Phil D’Amato

A solid three quarter length winner of the Grade III Monrovia Stakes three starts back on May 26, this 5-year-old Grazen mare, out of Sky Marni, by Sky Mesa, has been second as the 6-5 favorite in her last two starts, both turf sprints. Idle since second, beaten three quarters of a length going five furlongs on Aug. 25 at Del Mar, S Y Sky has been assigned high weight 126 pounds and will be trying 5 ½ furlongs on turf for the first time on Saturday. Although based at San Luis Rey Downs, her most recent workout was here at Santa Anita—a five furlong drill in 1:02.60 on Sunday.

DON’T SELL

Owner: Reddam Racing LLC
Trainer: Doug O’Neill

A 1 ¼ length winner of the 5 ½ furlong turf Unzip Me Stakes Sept. 28, this 3-year-old filly by Square Eddie, out of the In Excess mare Too Much Excess, has enjoyed a tremendous year for O’Neill, winning four out of her eight starts and running second twice while amassing 2019 earnings of $232,160. Although ridden to victory last time out by Evin Roman, she’ll be reunited with Paul Reddam’s go-to jock, Mario Gutierrez. With a career-best 88 Beyer Speed figure to her credit on Sept. 28, she’s unquestionably in top form and rates a big look on Saturday.

JUST GRAZED ME

Owner: Nick Alexander
Trainer: Phil D’Amato

A winner of two out of her last three starts, this 4-year-old daughter of Grazen, out of Fairway Road, by Cuvee, is also at the top of her game as she bids for her second career state-bred stakes win. Idle since victorious in a five furlong turf allowance Aug. 14, she has seven works on her post race tab, the last five on Santa Anita’s inner training track. Blessed with an abundance of natural speed, she’ll be making her third consecutive start on turf in the Cal Distaff.

THE CALIFORNIA DISTAFF HANDICAP WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

S Y Sky—Drayden Van Dyke—126
Silk From Heaven—Eswan Flores—114
Gypsy Blu—Abel Cedillo—121
Queen Be to You—Ruben Fuentes—121
Don’t Sell—Mario Gutierrez–122
Just Grazed Me—Geovanni Franco—122

First post time for an eight-race card on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

ABOUT SANTA ANITA PARK
Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.

ABOUT THE STRONACH GROUP
The Stronach Group (TSG) is a world-class entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred horse racing at the core. The company’s mission is executed through the distinct but interconnected pillars of Racing and Gaming, Entertainment, Technology and Real Estate Development. TSG is dedicated to delivering the best in class Thoroughbred horse racing content and operations. The company holds some of the greatest brands in the industry including, Southern California’s Santa Anita Park, “The Great Race Place”; South Florida’s Gulfstream Park, home to the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series and retail destination, The Village at Gulfstream Park; Pimlico Race Course, home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Laurel Park and Rosecroft Raceway in Maryland; Oregon’s Portland Meadows; and the San Francisco Bay Area’s, Golden Gate Fields. TSG is a leader in digital and mobile wagering technology through its subsidiaries AmTote and Xpressbet and is a major distributor of horse racing content to a global audience through Monarch Content Management. The award winning Adena Springs is the breeding and training facility of The Stronach Group with stables in Kentucky, Florida and Ontario.