BackTrack: Sky Beauty Earns First Grade 1 Win

The afternoon's two juvenile stakes (Sept. 19, 1992 at Belmont Park) ended in clean and decisive victories by favorites, but both victories were professional rather than breathtaking.

Sky Beauty, who has finished first in all five of her starts (though disqualified for an incidental foul in the grade I Spinaway), cannot be faulted until she does anything wrong, but her Matron Stakes (G1) triumph was less flashy than her first-place finishes in the Spinaway and Adirondack (G2) at Saratoga Race Course.

Sent off the 2-5 favorite in a field of nine, the daughter of Blushing Groom and Maplejinsky was trapped down the backstretch, with the dueling leaders Educated Risk and Family Enterprize in front of her and One Great Lady, a half-sister to champion Lady's Secret, to her outside.

As the leaders slowed from a first quarter in :22.54 to a half in :46.16, Sky Beauty eased past One Great Lady and to the outside, launching a three-wide bid around the turn. She collared them in upper stretch, was a half-length in front after six furlongs in 1:10.61, and steadily drew away under nine strokes of Eddie Maple's whip. Educated Risk, a Mr. Prospector—Pure Profit filly coming off a 6 3/4-length maiden victory, held well to be second, with Family Enterprize, who was awarded victory after finishing 1 3/4 lengths behind Sky Beauty in the Spinaway, fading to third.

Sky Beauty, who races for Georgia E. Hofmann, clearly has the locals over a barrel, but may give them a break by skipping the Frizette (G1) Oct. 10 and going into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) for trainer Allen Jerkens on works alone.

Will she stretch out? Her pedigree says she will, as does the fact that she was the only runner in either the Matron or the Futurity (G1) for colts a half-hour later to negotiate the last of the seven furlongs in under 13 seconds.