NEWS
Changing Skies takes charge in The Very One
Posted: Saturday, February 27, 2010 6:50 PM
CHANGING SKIES
Coglianese Photos
To view The Very One Stakes, click here.
by Tim Nichols
Stretching out to 1 3/8 miles, Changing Skies (Ire) relished the extra ground as she pulled away in the stretch to win The Very One Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.
A Swettenham Stud homebred trained by Bill Mott, Changing Skies relaxed near the back of the field through a mile before surging into contention entering the stretch. Nehantic Kat seized the lead in early stretch, but the five-year-old Sadler’s Wells mare zeroed in on that foe in the final quarter-mile and edged away to her first stakes win.
“She gave me a great ride,” winning jockey Kent Desormeaux said. “She was always in the bridle and distributing the confidence to me through the reins. And she was happy with the going.”
In My Glory set the pace through six furlongs in 1:14.92 and a mile in 1:39.59 before Desormeaux give Changing Skies her cue as she steadily advanced from eighth.
With Nehantic Kat and Closeout battling in early stretch, Desormeaux angled Changing Skies to the outside and the mare accelerated steadily to a three-quarter-length win. Nehantic Kat held on for second, 1¼ lengths ahead of Cable.
Changing Skies covered the distance on turf rated as good in 2:16.27 to register her second win in three North American starts since shipping from Europe. Changing Skies won one of nine starts in Europe for trainer Brian Meehan, finishing second in the 2008 Prix de Psyche (Fr-G3).
“[Swettenham Stud] have sent me a number of nice fillies and we’ve been fortunate to win good races for them, including some Grade 1s,” Mott said. “There are more opportunities over here once they get older.”
Changing Skies improved to three wins, three seconds, and three thirds in 12 career starts and earnings of $167,549. A full sister to Group 1 winner and Irish classic-placed Playful Act (Ire) and multiple group stakes winner Percussionist, Changing Skies is out of Group 3 winner Magnificent Style, by Silver Hawk.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Tim Nichols is internet content editor for Thoroughbred Times
