Fly So High OK After Being Vanned Off

There was some concern at Gulfstream Park following the March 3 Davona Dale Stake (G2) as Phipps Stable's Fly So High—a three-length winner—was loaded onto a van.

The following day, all appears to be OK, according to Daisy Phipps Pulito. Returning home from Florida where she watched the race, Pulito reports Fly So High was walked onto the van (mainly as a precaution after rider Jose Ortiz jumped off the filly), shipped back to her base at Payson Park Training Center, and this morning was jogged on the road and was sound. Trainer Shug McGaughey ordered an ultrasound, but the results have not been discussed.

"It was an impressive win," Pulito said. "She so big ... she's just growing into herself. If we have to give her some time off, we will. We're not in any rush. Shug ordered the ultrasound just to make sure we're not missing anything."

Fly So High, a winner of three straight, was a $675,000 purchase at the 2016 Keeneland September yearling sale from the Lane's End consignment. Niall Brennan signed the ticket.

While not unusual, Phipps Stable for decades has been a homebred operation.

"Every few years, my father (Ogden 'Dinny' Phipps) and I would like to buy a couple of fillies to introduce some new blood to the broodmare band," Pulito said. "Then when he got sick, and then died (April 2016), we kind of put everything on hold.

"I thought it was really important to continue to do that, so we bought two fillies at Keeneland. We wanted something we could have fun with, and also improve the broodmare band. This win has certainly been an added bonus."

Fly So High, is a daughter of Malibu Moon —Quiet Flight, by Quiet American. She was bred by Mt. Brilliant Broodmares II.

Fly So High was the highest-priced of 45 Malibu Moon yearlings sold that year and hails from perhaps the hottest family in the Stud Book.

Quiet Flight was bred by the late Edward P. Evans and was sold to Mt. Brilliant Broodmares (in foal to Evans' Quality Road ) for $600,000 during the Evans' dispersal at the 2011 Keeneland November sale. Her full sister, Quiet Dance, is the dam of 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam and grade 2 winner Quiet Giant, the dam of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner .

Pulito works with Brennan, along with the Claiborne Farm crew of Seth Hancock, Walker Hancock, and Bernie Sams. The other filly they purchased at the 2016 September sale was Tactical Affair (Tapit —Fencelineneighbor, by Wild Rush) for $430,000.