Diva's Gold, Vindy City ship in for Sky Beauty

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – A massive storm that wiped out Wednesday’s card at Aqueduct may impact Thursday’s feature as well, because three of the eight fillies and mares in the $60,000 Sky Beauty overnight stakes are out-of-towners. The Sky Beauty is race 8, and the fifth leg of a pick-6 with a two-day carryover of $95,551.

Although neither was a match for Harissa in last month’s Sleigh Ride Stakes at Parx Racing, Vindy City and Diva’s Gold filled out the trifecta at respective odds of 19-1 and 25-1. Diva’s Gold was a length behind Vindy City at the wire, but could have a home-court edge of sorts for the rematch in the one-mile Sky Beauty, as she won or placed in all four starts on the inner track earlier in her career.

Diva’s Gold ran for as little as $5,000 last year, but has been working her way back up the ladder since claimed by Butch Reid and comes off the three fastest Beyer Figures of her career.

“She was an amazing claim – we got lucky there,” said Reid. “I’m not sure why she was in that cheap. She’s done well on the inner track in the past and the owner’s real excited; he’s a New York guy, so we thought we’d give it a shot.”

Diva’s Gold’s effort in the Sleigh Ride is better than it looks: She was within easy striking range through the opening stages, and came on again after dropping back into the stretch.

“She actually lost a little ground on the turn and came running a little bit,” Reid recalled.

Vindy City, also based at Parx Racing, won three races last year, including the Miss Preakness Stakes. She has run Beyer tops in three of her last four races for John Servis.

Five Diamonds has won or placed in eight of her last nine outings for John Salzman Jr. She closed out 2010 with back-to-back victories at Laurel, and was second in the What a Summer Stakes in her first start this year.

All five locally based runners are in good form, headed by Purrfect Bluff, who recorded her two fastest figures to begin the year, including a third in Saturday’s Correction Stakes for Rick Dutrow.

Dutrow recently won two races in four days with Laysh Laysh Laysh.

Super Espresso and Electric Gold, who sold for $1.1 million and $425,000, exit allowance victories for respective trainers Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown.

Kittylicious and Lady Durlyn also entered.