Skye Diamonds ends win drought with L.A. Woman Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - Skye Diamonds won for the first time since August 2017 in Sunday’s Grade 3 L.A. Woman Stakes for female sprinters at Santa Anita, closing from fourth in a field of five to record a comfortable victory.

The win will force the partnership that owns Skye Diamonds to decide whether to start the 5-year-old mare in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3. Skye Diamonds was fourth in the same race at Del Mar last November.

Skye Diamonds is scheduled to be sold at auction in Kentucky next month.

In the $100,000 L.A. Woman Stakes, Skye Diamonds ended a six-race losing streak, all in stakes. She was third in the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 12 after racing near the front in the opening quarter-mile.

In Sunday’s race, jockey Tiago Pereira brought Skye Diamonds from off the pace. Skye Diamonds trailed pacesetter Yuvetsi by five lengths through the first quarter-mile.

“She wants to come from behind,” trainer Bill Spawr said. “That’s the way she should be ridden.”

Anonymity, the 7-10 favorite, took the lead from Yuvetsi and led after a half-mile, but could not hold off a wide rally from Skye Diamonds.

With a furlong remaining, Skye Diamonds led by a half-length and won by 1 1/4 lengths over Anonymity, who finished 4 1/4 lengths clear of Show It N Moe It. Classy Tune finished fourth, followed by Yuvetsi in the small field.

Skye Diamonds ($11.20) ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.56. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 91.

Owned by Tom Acker, Allen Racing, Bloom Racing, and Jon Lindo, Skye Diamonds has won 10 of 23 starts and earned $690,150. A 5-year-old mare by First Dude, Skye Diamonds has earned $570,100 since being claimed for $40,000 in August 2016.