Sky conquers Northern Dancer

Sky conquers Northern Dancer

SKY CONQUEROR (Sky Classic) entered Sunday's $615,653

Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup Turf S. (Can-G2) off a first stakes win,

taking the King Edward Breeders' Cup S. (Can-G2) by 1 1/4 lengths on July 3.

Just 20 days later, the Darwin Banach-trained four-year-old continued his rise

in the ranks with a rallying half-length score here under Todd Kabel.

Racing in the colors of owner/breeder William A. Sorokolit, Sky Conqueror

settled near the back of Sunday's rich 1 1/2-mile feature as Last Answer

(Langfuhr) took a commanding lead through a quarter in :25 2/5, a half in :50

4/5 and six furlongs in 1:16 1/5. Steadily making up ground as the rest of the

field began to catch up with Last Answer, Sky Conqueror was going best of all to

get in front and stopped the clock in 2:34 1/5 on Woodbine's soft turf.

Sent off the 9-2 fourth choice in the seven-horse field, Sky Conqueror paid

$11.20, $6.80 and $3.90 while keying the $124.80 exactor and $380.80 triactor

(6-7-1). Last Answer held well for second, 2 3/4 lengths up on Jambalaya

(Langfuhr) in third, to give back $11.90 and $5.90 as the near 14-1 longshot.

Jambalaya was worth $3.20 at 4-1 and next under the line were Shoal Water (Smart

Strike), Porfido (Chi) (Mash One), 8-5 favorite Revved Up (Sultry Song) and

Pellegrino (Brz) (Nugget Point [Ire]).

The Ontario-bred Sky Conqueror was second in his stakes debut last year, the

Chief Bearhart S. over this track, and then traveled to Churchill Downs to run a

good fourth in the Commonwealth Turf S. Not seen again until showing up at

Keeneland as a four-year-old, the chestnut colt was third in an allowance at the

Lexington, Kentucky, track, before returning to Woodbine in late May to just

miss the Connaught Cup S. (Can-G3) by a neck in third. Sky Conqueror boosted his

record to 11-4-1-2 with this victory.

Out of the winning Heavenly Ballerina (Conquistador Cielo), Sky Conqueror has

an unraced juvenile half-sister named Artistic Ballerina (Tale of the Cat) and

an unnamed yearling half-sister by Strike a Gold Mine.

Also on Sunday's Woodbine card was the $65,888

Ontario Jockey

Club S. going seven furlongs on the green. Margaret Squires' MILLFLEET (Compadre)

grabbed the lead under Steven Bahen soon after the start and was never headed en

route to a 1 1/2-length score for trainer Michael DePaulo. The five-year-old

gelding posted a final time of 1:25 4/5 for this one, which is his third stakes

win and first victory of the year. Millfleet now boasts a 30-5-3-7 career mark.

Only four races were conducted on Sunday at Woodbine because of adverse

weather conditions. Heavy, sustained rains caused the inner dirt track to be

washed out, forcing the cancellation of the remainder of

the card except for the two turf stakes.