Dynamic Sky Skirts Rail for Red Smith Tally
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By Jerry Bossert
Dynamic Sky entered the Red Smith Handicap (gr. IIIT) winless on the turf but came out a grade III winner when he rallied up the fence under Cornelio Velasquez to take the $250,000 event at Aqueduct Racetrack Nov. 15 .
The 4-5 favorite, Big Blue Kitten, got up to be second, beaten by 1 1/4 lengths, after trying to rally from last through traffic in the 10-horse field.
"I had a good trip," said Velasquez, the leading rider at the Aqueduct meet. "I saved ground all the way, and I had a lot of horse at the quarter pole. I asked, and he gave me everything."
Dynamic Sky completed the 1 3/8-mile distance in 2:18.85 over a turf course labeled yielding, and boosted his career earnings to $938,797 for owner John Oxley.
While winless from five previous turf starts, Dynamic Sky did not embarrass himself on the Woodbine | BloodHorse.com Track Profile">Woodbine grass this season, finishing second in the Northern Dancer Stakes (Can-IT) Sept. 14 and third in the Pattison Canadian International (Can-IT) Oct. 19. In the Canadian International he shied in the stretch and was two lengths behind Big Blue Kitten, who finished second that day.
"(The Canadian International) was a really tough race, obviously," said Kathryn Sullivan, assistant to winning trainer Mark Casse. "He got a great trip today, and everything seemed to come together for him. He didn't have the best start in the International, which put him behind in the race, but today everything went exactly as planned.
"Cornelio took him off the pace a little bit and had him sitting perfectly. When that hole opened, he just went right on through and had a ton of horse. It was perfect, you couldn't ask for a better trip."
Dynamic Sky saved ground throughout while racing midpack as Micromanage led the field. Tracking fractions of :25.91 for the opening quarter mile, :50.99 for the half, and 1:16.66 for three-quarters, Velasquez urged the 4-year-old Sky Mesa colt into contention.
Rounding the far turn, 7-2 second choice Legendary inherited the lead, but was quickly overtaken by longshot Margano at the top of the stretch, as Dynamic Sky and Velasquez dove to the rail for running room. When a seam opened, Dynamic Sky burst through and kicked clear in the lane, with enough left to hold off the oncoming Big Blue Kitten.
Dynamic Sky returned $14.20 to win, $4.90 to place, and $4.10 to show. Big Blue Kitten paid $2.50 to place and $2.20 to show, while Margano returned $12 to show. Unitarian finished fourth, followed by Legendary, St. Albans Boy, Calvados, Can'thelpbelieving, Manighar, and Micromanage.
It was the fifth win from 20 career starts for Dynamic Sky, who was bred in Ontario by Arosa Farms out of the Distorted Humor mare Murani.
As a 2-year-old, Dynamic Sky finished second in the 2012 Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) before running sixth in the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I).
He began his 3-year-old season with a win in the Pasco Stakes before finishing second in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III). After finishing fourth in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II), Dynamic Sky finished ninth in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I).
He rebounded with a win in the Plate Trial Stakes at Woodbine in June, but his 3-year-old season came to an end July 7 after finishing third in the Queen's Plate Stakes.
Dynamic Sky returned to the races as a 4-year-old this spring when fifth in an allowance race at Keeneland April 10, and scored his first victory of the year through disqualification in an allowance race at Woodbine June 15.
He was then moved to the grass by Casse, where he hit the board in four of five tries at Woodbine before finally notching his first graded stakes win Saturday.