Spring to the Sky gets rematch with Strong Impact in Lucky Coin
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Spring to the Sky finished 43 3/4 lengths behind Strong Impact when the pair met here last summer in the Fiddler’s Patriot Stakes. You can safely bet that the two turf-sprint specialists will finish a lot closer together when they cross paths once again here Sunday in the race formerly known as the Fiddler’s Patriot, the $100,000 Lucky Coin.
Spring to the Sky rebounded from his poor performance in the 2013 Fiddler’s Patriot to win an allowance race five weeks later over the local course. He went on to finish third in the Grade 3 Woodford at Keeneland and 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint before year’s end. He enters the 5 1/2-furlong Lucky Coin off an impressive wire-to-wire, 2 3/4-length high-level optional-claiming win at Belmont four weeks ago.
“He came out of this race last year with his foot bugging him,” said trainer Bruce Brown. “He’s always had sensitive feet, and that day, for whatever reason, he just wasn’t right. It wasn’t anything major. He came back to win a race later in the meet.”
Brown just laughed when asked if Spring to the Sky could make up the nearly 44 lengths that separated him from Strong Impact here a year ago. His horse will break from post 6 under Javier Castellano.
“Yeah, I think he can do that,” said Brown. “I like the post. I’ve always liked him on the outside, so it gives him a clear shot even if he breaks a step slow. And Javier really gets along with him. He’s still the only one who has ever won on him.”
Strong Impact also was in Brown’s barn when he easily handled his former stablemate in the Fiddler’s Patriot. He now resides under the shed of David Jacobson, who claimed Strong Impact from Brown for $80,000 out of a winning effort in his 2014 debut at Belmont in May. Strong Impact returned quick dividends for his new connections by capturing an overnight stakes at Monmouth three weeks later before finishing fifth as the favorite while stretching out to seven furlongs over a yielding course just six days later.
Great Attack, seventh in the 2013 Fiddler’s Patriot; Laurie’s Rocket, Triple Cross, and Go Blue Or Go Home complete the compact lineup.