Fancy Liquor Steps Up to Take American Turf

Skychair Racing and Sand Dollar Stable celebrated their third stakes victory this year with a homebred Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs when Fancy Liquor rallied in deep stretch to take the American Turf Stakes Presented by Smithfield (G2T) by half a length.

The 3-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky  had been showing talent all year, but also a lot of immaturity that left him just short of the wire in three of his five career starts with trainer Mike Maker.

Instead of battling on the front end Saturday, as has been the colt's habit, jockey Florent Geroux let him settle far off the leaders as American Butterfly, Sugoi, and 6-5 favorite Smooth Like Strait ran opening fractions of :23.04 and :46.48. As the field rounded the turn, Maker's other challenger, second choice Field Pass, took command, with Fancy Liquor closing the gap.

"The way he loomed up turning for home, I thought he would be hard to hold off," said Harvey Diamond, a co-owner of Skychai Racing with Jim Shircliff. They campaign Fancy Liquor with David Koenig's Sand Dollar Stable.

"For some reason, I could not keep him any closer, so I let him relax and gave him a nice breather," Geroux said. "When it was time to go, he picked it up."

Fancy Liquor stopped the timer in 1:42.83, finishing ahead of Taishan, who was 1 1/4 lengths ahead of third-place Field Pass. Smooth Like Strait finished fourth. The winner paid $11.60, 5.20, and 3.00. Taishan paid $10.20 and $5.20, and Field Pass paid $2.60.

Skychai and Sand Dollar have campaigned two other homebred stakes winners this year, including Bernard Baruch Handicap (G2T) winner Somelikeithotbrown and New York Stallion Series Stakes winner Jolting Joe.

Maker said he has not had owners see so much success with their breed-to-race horses.

"Harvey should be hired by one of the big farms," Maker quipped. "I don't think he's paid a stud fee yet."

Fancy Liquor was bred in the name of Skychai Racing and Hot Pink Stable, which is owned by Shircliff's daughter, Susie. Diamond and Shircliff own several mares together.

"Lucky to have such a good trainer, who does well with these turf horses and these babies," Shircliff said. "Mike turned us on to the mother and made us buy the mother, and turned us on to the horse." Fancy Liquor's dam, Brandys Secret, is an allowance winner who captured 21 wins out of 44 starts on dirt and turf.

"We didn't totally know he'd be this kind of horse, but he's done everything right for us. Hopefully, there is more to come," Diamond said.