Sky and Sea stretches out to win Minnesota Oaks

SHAKOPEE, Minn. – Going into the Minnesota Oaks, the only question regarding the 1-9 favorite Sky and Sea was if she could stretch out and win in her first try at two turns. She answered her backers with a resounding yes, pulling away from the field in the lane to capture the one mile and 70 yard Oaks by 3 1/4 lengths in 1:46.50.

Jockey Dean Butler aboard Sky and Sea broke alertly and immediately took her under a very tight hold through the first turn and down the backstretch. Stellabrini challenged her once down the back stretch but was repelled. She tried the favorite again through the turn, pulling even with her entering the turn, but Butler loosened the reins, and Sky and Sea ($2.20) responded.

“Dean had to have her under a pretty tight hold, as you saw,” said winning owner-breeder Scott Rake. “But once he let her go, she was just fine.”

Thunder and Honey ($3.40) passed the tiring Stellabrini ($2.80) in deep stretch for second.

The Minnesota Derby was a more wide-open affair. The second choice A P Is Loose cut the fractions with the longshot Street Fighting alongside.

Jockey Ry Eikleberry spotted a gap along the rail as the two pacesetters slugged it out and sent Speed Is Life through the gap to take the lead entering the turn. Though there was some bumping on his outside, Speed Is Life ($14.60) was clear and never looked back, taking the Derby by 3 1/4 lengths over the fast-closing Vanderbilt Beach ($8.00). A P Is Loose ($3.40) held on for third.

“He ran a big race today,” said trainer Doug Oliver. “He wasn’t ready as a 2-year old, so we didn’t run him and waited until he was 3. He’s really done well.”

The multiple stakes winner covered the mile and 70 yards in 1:45.52.

On the gallop out of the Derby, Bet Your Socks unseated jockey Scott Stevens. Early reports are Stevens suffered a broken forearm. He was replaced on his remaining mounts on the card and was removed from the racetrack by ambulance and taken to a local hospital for examination and treatment.

The most exciting finish of the night occurred in the $40,000 Carless Navigator Overnight Stakes for 2-year-olds at 5 1/2 furlongs. Hero on Saturday, Majestic Pride, and Iknowsheknowsiknow all hit the wire less than a quarter-length apart with Hero on Saturday ($9.00) and jockey Seth Martinez taking advantage of a small opening on the rail to get up to win by a neck over the favored Majestic Pride ($3.20) with another head back to Iknowsheknowsiknow ($3.40). Hero on Saturday covered the distance in 1:06.82.