Skygaze Adds G3 Maple Leaf to Strong Resume
Skygaze (4f American Pharoah x Skyscape, by Marquetry) continue her 2021 success on Saturday when the Tracy Farmer-owned filly scored her first graded stakes victory in the Grade III Maple Leaf Stakes.
Stretching out to 1 1/4 miles on the Woodbine synthetic track, Skygaze raced in third just two lengths off the leader while tucked on the rail by Patrick Husbands. The filly asked to do more down the backstretch but Husbands kept a firm grip until they entered the turn and he piloted her to the outside of the longtime leader.
By the top of the stretch, Skygaze had the lead and in a flash was a few lengths in front. By the time they hit the wire, she was 4 ½ lengths in front of the field with Husbands not asking for much in the last furlong.
“I was driving my Ferrari,” said Husbands. “She gives you everything she has to give you.”
The Mark Casse trainee now has three wins in her five starts this year and six wins in 13 starts overall with two of them coming in 2021 stakes races.
A $300,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Farmer from Gainesway, the Normandy Farm-bred is one of two graded stakes winners for Skyscape and one of five stakes horses for that mare overall.
One of Skygaze’s stakes-placed half-sisters is also the granddam of Grade III-placed Walking Thunder. Skygaze is the 12th graded stakes winner for American Pharoah, who has already sired 40 stakes performers from his first three crops, including two juvenile stakes winners in 2021.