Tizzy in the Sky takes flight in Top Flight Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - A two-horse race on paper became a one-horse affair on the track as fast-starting Tizzy in the Sky broke on top under Kendrick Carmouche, gained a clear advantage through modest fractions and went on to record a nine-length victory in Sunday’s $145,500 Top Flight Stakes at Aqueduct.

Movie Moxy finished second by 4 3/4 lengths over Towhead. Comparative, the 6-5 second choice, broke slow and never really got involved, finishing fourth. Spiked was last. The Top Flight, originally scheduled for Saturday, was moved back to Sunday when it didn’t have sufficient entries for Saturday.

The victory was the fourth from 11 starts but first in a stakes for Tizzy in the Sky, a 5-year-old daughter of Sky Kingdom owned by KimDon Racing and trained by Todd Pletcher. All four of those victories have come at Aqueduct, three by nine lengths or greater and at 1 1/8 miles.

:: Get the Inside Track with the FREE DRF Morning Line Email Newsletter. Subscribe now.

Breaking from post 3 under Carmouche, Tizzy in the Sky nearly beat the gate and was able to open up a one-length advantage through a quarter of 25.16 seconds. Tizzy in the Sky maintained that advantage through a half-mile in 48.71 seconds and six furlongs in 1:12.28. Spiked, then Movie Moxy, were Tizzy in the Sky’s closest pursuers.

Turning for home, Tizzy in the Sky opened up and came to the wire a handy winner. Tizzy in the Sky covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.56 and returned $3.70 to win.

“She relaxed a little bit better this time in the post parade, Todd wanted me to keep her quiet a little bit,” Carmouche said. “She was ready to run today. Only had one horse to beat in the race; [ Comparative] broke bad and the race was over.”

Owner Dom Orenstein said while he’ll let Pletcher call the shots for Tizzy in the Sky’s next start, he wouldn’t mind it being in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Saratoga on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

“If we can run Belmont weekend up at Saratoga, it would be a dream come true, that is the cherry on top,” Orenstein said after the race.

Comparative, looking to rebound from a seventh-place finish in last month’s Grade 2 Azeri at Oaklawn in her last start, “was flat,” Sunday jockey Manny Franco said.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.