Sky Flight gets up to win photo in Artie Schiller

Benefiting from a perfectly timed ride by Joel Rosario, Sky Flight ($12.20) was up in the final strides to catch Aztec Brave in Saturday’s $100,000 Artie Schiller Stakes at Aqueduct.

Sky Flight was able to save ground on both turns before moving outside for the stretch run and rallied determinedly to prevail in a photo finish. He ran one mile in 1:37.69 over a yielding turf course.

“He’s the kind of horse if he sees a horse in front, he comes and gets it,” said Rosario. “Every time he saw [Aztec Brave], he just kept on coming, kept on coming. He didn’t want to get beat.”

Aztec Brave, who had tracked Plainview through easy fractions of 24.18 seconds, 49.29, and 1:13.83, wrested command a furlong out and just failed to last in a sharp effort.

Reload was off slowest and finished third. Plainview weakened late to wind up fourth. Vision Perfect was fifth. Lubash never factored and checked in sixth in the field of 10.

Sky Flight lost his first five starts this year, including third-place finishes in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay and the Grade 2 Firecracker, but the 4-year-old colt by Sky Mesa now has won two in a row for trainer Mark Casse, having taken a third-level allowance at Keeneland last month.

“Perfect trip from the one hole,” said assistant trainer Randi Melton. “[Aztec Brave] gave us our work to do, but it was good to get up.”