Fly So High continued her upward trajectory Saturday at Gulfstream Park, earning her first graded tally in the GII Davona Dale S. while providing her Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey with career victory number 2,000.
The 'TDN Rising Star' crushed her competition by 7 3/4 lengths in an Aqueduct special weight when stretched to a mile at second asking Nov. 16, and doubled up with an equally facile victory over track and trip Jan. 4.
Installed the 7-5 chalk amongst this promising bunch, the bay was kept far out into the track early by Take Charge Paula. There was plenty of in-race jockeying for position down the backside, but as they spun for home, the hulking Fly So High simply had more to give and put a few lengths on her competition at the wire.
Fly So High was pulled up quickly on the gallop out and vanned off.
“I couldn't see anything major,” McGaughey said regarding a potential injury for Fly So High. “Jose [Ortiz] said when he turned around he felt something a little funny. I thought she walked on the van sound. She was a bit bumped up obviously, so when I get back to the barn I'll be able to tell more. As far as anything major, she didn't palpate sore; she didn't flex sore palpate; Maybe she did something to her foot or jammed something. But when I got over there it wasn't like her leg filled up or anything like that.”
Pedigree Notes:
Fly So High was one of two rare purchases by the historic Phipps Stable bringing $675,000 at the 2016 KEESEP Sale. Fly So High's dam Quiet Flight, winless in four career starts for owner/breeder Edward P. Evans, brought $600,000 from Mt. Brilliant at the 2011 KEENOV sale. A Malibu Moon filly of 2016 is her most recent produce. This is also the same female family of Horses of the Year Saint Liam (Saint Ballado) and Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}). Fly So High becomes the 109 stakes winner, 46th graded, for leading sire Malibu Moon. Females represent 29 of those graded winners.
Saturday, Gulfstream Park
DAVONA DALE S.-GII, $200,000, GP, 3-3, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:38.69, ft.
1–FLY SO HIGH, 116, f, 3, by Malibu Moon
1st Dam: Quiet Flight, by Quiet American
2nd Dam: Misty Dancer, by Lyphard
3rd Dam: Flight Dancer, by Misty Flight
“TDN Rising Star” 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
WIN. ($675,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Phipps Stable; B-Mt Brilliant
Broodmares II LLC (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III; J-Jose L.
Ortiz. $120,280. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $190,180. Werk Nick
Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”mt-brilliant-farm-bred-raised”][bullet ad=”lanes-end-sales-grad”][bullet ad=”nbs-success”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Take Charge Paula, 122, f, 3, Take Charge Indy–Perfect Paula,
by Songandaprayer. ($40,000 Wlg '15 KEENOV; $47,000 RNA
Ylg '16 KEESEP; $50,000 2yo '17 OBSMAR). O-Peter Deutsch;
B-Extern Developments LTD. (KY); T-Kiaran P. McLaughlin.
$38,800.[bullet ad=”lanes-end-sales-grad”][bullet ad=”frankfort-park-farm-raised-grazed-at”]3–Heavenhasmynikki, 116, f, 3, Majestic Warrior–Floral Park,
by Forest Wildcat. ($150,000 Ylg '16 FTKOCT). O-Loooch Racing
Stables, Inc.; B-Langsem Farm, Inc (OH); T-Anthony Quartarolo.
$19,400.[bullet ad=”webb-carroll-another-wctc-grad”][bullet ad=”buckland-purchase-with-bs”]Margins: 3, 3/4, HF. Odds: 1.40, 2.70, 9.40.
Also Ran: Sultry, Cache, Alter Moon, Sunny Skies, Miss Mo Mentum. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
