Highland Sky splashes to easy win in John's Call Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The heavy rain that fell steadily throughout much of the morning Wednesday at Saratoga turned out to be heaven sent for trainer Barclay Tagg and his heretofore turf specialist Highland Sky, who splashed to an 8 ¼-length victory over 3-5 favorite Red Knight and just three other rivals in the $100,000 John’s Call Stakes.
Highland Sky had made 23 of his 24 previous starts on grass, with his lone main-track outing resulting in a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup during the fall of 2017. But when the John’s Call was switched from the grass to a sloppy main track, Tagg opted to let the 6-year-old son of Sky Mesa try wet going for the first time, a decision that resulted in Highland Sky’s first victory in nearly 14 months.
With regular rider Manny Franco aboard, Highland Sky rated within easy striking distance of the early pace set by Turco Bravo and pressed by Red Knight. Red Knight stuck his head in front midway on the second turn, but was immediately engaged by the wide-running Highland Sky, who drew off with complete authority down the center of the track.
Red Knight, whose six wins had all come on grass, outlasted the tiring Turco Bravo by 1 ¾ lengths to finish second, with Redicean, winner of a novice race over the hurdles here earlier this summer, easing to the wire a distant fourth and last.
Highland Sky, who finished third in the two-mile Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup earlier this season, covered 1 ¼ miles over the sloppy going in 2:04.32 and paid $6.90.
“In the past, I’d always scratched him when his races came off the turf,” said Tagg. “But I thought it was going to be a real small field and I didn’t think he’d mind the slop. Which he didn’t. He just has to be kept a good hold of early, get collected and kept quiet early, and he’s got a hell of a kick.”
Tagg said he thought the wet racetrack played to Highland Sky’s advantage.
“It looked like the slop moved him up,” said Tagg. “But he’s got some really big numbers. If you just talk about his Beyer Figures, he’s never been under 90 for a long time and he did have one triple-digit Beyer, which nobody had in there. Everything was there that needed to be there, and he just put it together.”