Skye Diamonds Shines Brightest in L.A. Woman Stakes
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Skye Diamonds and jockey Tiago Pereira outleg Anonymity to win the L.A. Woman Stakes at Santa Anita
While the field for the Oct. 7 $100,000 L.A. Woman Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park may have been small, Skye Diamonds still managed to outshine her competition.
Unable to make the grade in five starts this year, it seemed that Skye Diamond's best days were possibly behind her. The multiple graded winner had closed out her 4-year-old season relatively strong, posting wins in last year's Great Lady M Stakes (G2) July 8 at Los Alamitos Race Course followed by another win in the Aug. 13 Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3) at Del Mar. The daughter of First Dude closed out the year with a fourth-place run in the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) and returned to the track in February to pursue a 5-year-old campaign.
Competing exclusively in graded company in 2018, the Bill Spawr trainee kept falling just shy of the winner's circle and after failing to defend her crown in this year's renewal of the Rancho Bernardo, running third behind Yuvetsi, fingers were crossed that the California-bred would finally find her way.
Guided by Tiago Pereira, Skye Diamonds settled into the back of the field. Despite her attempt to take the lead Yuvetsi weakened quickly allowing Anonymity to take command.
Leading by a length as the five fillies and mares reached the half-mile mark in :44.32, Skye Diamonds ranged up three deep in the stretch to take control midstretch and inched away from the leader to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:16.56.
Anonymity, Show It N Moe It, Classy Tune, and Yuvetsi completed the order of finish. Skye Diamonds returned $11.20, $3.40, and $2.80 across the board.
Owned by Allen Racing, Bloom Racing Stables, Tom Acker, and Jon Lindo, Skye Diamonds was bred in California by Dizney Double Diamond out of the Johannesburg mare Exonerated. She holds a 10-4-3 record from 23 starts with $690,150 in earnings.