Watch a promising young filly set a stakes record in Keeneland win
A promising young filly achieved a major milestone at Keeneland on Friday as the Fall Meet at the Lexington track continued.
Stunning Sky rallied in the closing seconds to win the Grade 3, $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View Stakes, setting a race record with a time of 1:41.33 in the 1 1/16-mile turf contest. It was the first graded stakes victory for the 3-year-old Mike Maker trainee and her third overall win in 11 starts.
Stunning Sky broke as the 5-1 third choice under jockey Ricardo Santana and settled early in the back third of the 11-horse field. As the pack turned for home, Santana steered Stunning Sky to the outside and she responded, charging to the front and bursting ahead of second-place Princess Grace, who had odds of 7-1, at the wire. Long shot How Ironic (29-1) finished third.
“The race didn’t shape up the way I thought it would, but I left it in Ricardo’s hands, and he rode a great race,” Maker said. “She ran some game races, unlucky to lose, at Saratoga. Very deserving. Such a big, classy filly. I like to get a stakes win for (co-owner) Peter Proscia.”
Fillies take Sunday spotlight
Ireland-bred Siberian Iris highlights a six-horse field for Sunday’s 29th running of the Grade 3, $125,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager turf contest for fillies and mares at Keeneland.
Owned by Calumet Farms, the 6-year-old mare will be looking for her fourth career victory and first of 2020 in the Rood & Riddle. Siberian Iris finished off the board in her two most recent outings but this summer she ran a game second against the boys in the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita.
In the 1 1/2-mile Rood & Riddle — scheduled to go off Sunday at 4:57 p.m. as the eighth of nine races — Siberian Iris will break from the No. 5 post under jockey Florent Geroux. She was made the 5-2 morning line co-favorite along with Always Shopping, a 4-year-old filly trained by Todd Pletcher.
Always Shopping will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione from post No. 4. Last time out, she won the Monroe Stakes at Gulfstream Park in September.
The Rood & Riddle is the final stakes race of Keeneland’s Fall Meet.
Keeneland 2020 Fall Meet
When: Through Oct. 24 (no spectators allowed)
Race days: Wednesdays through Sundays
First post: 1:05 p.m.
This story was originally published October 16, 2020 at 7:23 PM.
