Utmost Puts Best Foot Forward in Sky Classic
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Photo: Michael Burns
Utmost (outside) closes past Tiz a Slam to win the Sky Classic at Woodbine
It was a banner day at Woodbine for trainer Graham Motion, who took home his third straight renewal of the $175,000 Sky Classic Stakes (G2T) when Utmost cruised past his four competitors to cross the wire in 2:17.61 for about 1 3/8 miles.
Sent off at post-time odds of 9-5, Utmost broke well and tracked the pace in second behind favorite Tiz a Slam, who led the field through fractions of :25.43, :50.25, and 1:15.29 in the first six furlongs.
With jockey Alan Garcia in the irons, Utmost gained ground and then matched strides with Tiz a Slam as they entered the stretch. The tiring leader fought against his rival's advance, but Utmost forged ahead to win by a length over a turf course rated good.
"He broke well, and then after that, I put my head down and he was on cruise control," Garcia said. "I talked to the assistant and I talked to Sheena Ryan, because she gets on him in the morning sometimes, and asked how he was doing. She said, 'He's a nice horse. He's very relaxed. He's a classy horse. You're going to love him.' And she was right.
"I was only worried about the horses in the back. Before turning for home, I saw in the back nobody was coming, and I (thought) the only horse to beat is in front of me, so I (thought) let me take my time. ... He was the best today."
Seeking Albert finished third and was followed by Black Sea in fourth. Drumcliff's tack slipped mid-race, forcing jockey Ian Black to pull him up. Danish Dynaformer was scratched.
The win marked the first North American victory for Utmost, a son of Giant's Causeway . A two-time winner in England, the colt shipped to the U.S. for his American debut at Delaware Park in the July 7 Cape Henlopen Stakes, where he finished third.
Motion's prior wins in the event for older horses came in 2017 with Can'thelpbelieving and with Messi in 2016. Motion also captured the race in 2006 with Better Talk Now.
Bred in Kentucky by George Strawbridge Jr. out of the Alphabet Soup mare Fugitive Angel—a multiple stakes winner on turf and victress of the Pin Oak Valley View Stakes (G3T)—Utmost improved his record to 3-0-3 from 10 starts with earnings of $160,012.