Sky High Gal captures Mizdirection Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif.- Turf sprints have become a specialty for Sky High Gal this year.

After winning the Wishing Well Stakes in February, and finishing a game third in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes in April, Sky High Gal won the third stakes of her career in Sunday’s $82,300 Mizdirection Stakes for fillies and mares on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita.

The key to victory, from trainer John Sadler’s perspective, was for Sky High Gal to be in the race from the start.

“I thought we needed to be first or second,” Sadler said. “She ran a good race.”

Ridden by Mike Smith, Sky High Gal ($12.60) stalked pacesetter Biorhythm through early fractions of 21.91 and 43.72 seconds. Sky High Gal led by a head with a furlong remaining, and won by 1 1/4 lengths over Biorhythm. Qiaona closed from last in a field of six.

Sky High Gal ran about 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:13.17.

Tribal Spy, who won the Irish O’Brien Stakes in March and the Las Cienegas Stakes, finished fourth, followed by Llandudno and Top Kisser, the 8-5 favorite. Top Kisser, who won the Spring Fever Stakes for California-breds on the main track on April 26, was fourth on the hillside but was not a threat in the stretch.

Sky High Gal races for Kosta Hronis. A 4-year-old filly by Leroidesanimaux, Sky High Gal won the Blue Norther Stakes over a mile on turf in January 2013. She has won 5 of 9 starts and $232,533.

Sadler said that Sky High Gal is unlikely to race again until the Del Mar summer meeting when she could make her first start on a synthetic surface.