Sky Kingdom takes American Flag Stakes

CYPRESS, Calif. – The lightly raced Sky Kingdom won the second stakes of his career in Friday’s $83,850 American Flag Stakes at Los Alamitos, a victory that could lead to a graded stakes appearance at Del Mar later this summer.

Ridden for the first time by Victor Espinoza, Sky Kingdom ($13.40) stalked pacesetter Magic Mark to the middle of the long stretch and took the lead with more than a furlong remaining. Sky Kingdom won by three-quarters of a length over Handsome Mike, running 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.32.

Espinoza said his goal was to get Sky Kingdom near the front early and take a stalking position.

“For me, I wanted to bounce out and put him in the race,” Espinoza said. “I’ve never ridden him, but I’ve watched him. He grabbed the bridle on the first turn. It seemed that he liked the track. He took the turns well.”

Handsome Mike, winless since the Grade 3 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland in April 2013, was always near the front and finished second, 1 1/4 lengths in front of 8-5 favorite Magic Mark.

Magic Mark set a pace of 23.82 and 48.64 seconds but faded in the final furlong.

Old Time Hockey finished fourth, followed by Huntsville and War Academy.

Sky Kingdom, a 5-year-old horse by Empire Maker, has won 5 of 14 starts and earned $367,872 for Westrock Stables and trainer Bob Baffert.

In 2013, Sky Kingdom won the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup over 1 1/2 miles on dirt at Santa Anita and was later third in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup. The American Flag Stakes was Sky Kingdom’s first start since a fourth-place finish as the 5-2 favorite in the Harry Brubaker Stakes at Del Mar last August.

Baffert said earlier this week that Sky Kingdom could run in the $100,000 Cougar II Handicap over 1 1/2 miles on July 25 as a prep for a possible start in the $1 million Pacific Classic over 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 24.