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Diva emerges in Frizette Puglisi Stables' SKY DIVA (Sky Mesa) rallied to the lead in upper stretch and paraded home a 3 3/4-length winner in Saturday's $400,000 Frizette S. (G1) at Belmont Park. Trained by Steve Klesaris, who garnered his 1,000th career victory earlier in the day at Delaware Park, Sky Diva improved to two for two with her stylish score in the prestigious one-mile event and increased her career earnings to $264,000. She was exiting a 10-length maiden special weight win at Delaware Park on September 9. "We've thought very highly of her for awhile," Klesaris said. "Coming around the far turn, we knew the race was ours. Ramon, at that point, was just looking to get around horses, while the others were starting to scrub on their horses." "She didn't get really get off too sure, I mean, she wasn't the quickest," winning rider Ramon Dominguez explained. "But she is just an unbelievable filly. She's a big, big filly and she puts herself into the race with no effort, for as big as she is. She just takes off like she's coming out of a gun. She is all horse. She is a combination of everything you want." Gemswick Park (Speightstown) sprinted to the fore when the gates opened and established a two-length advantage through an opening quarter-mile in :22 3/5. She continued to maintain a clear advantage through splits in :45 4/5 and 1:11 3/5, but Sky Diva, who was rating in midpack during the early stages, swung out to the four path approaching the stretch and quickly made up ground on the far outside after straightening for home. She blew past the leaders, reaching the eighth pole with a 2 1/2-length cushion, and cruised to the finish line under Dominguez, stopping the teletimer in 1:37 2/5 over the fast track. Sent off the 5-1 third choice in the field of 10 juvenile fillies, Sky Diva returned $13.20, $4.70 and $3.30 after proving much the best. Even-money favorite Persistently (Smoke Glacken) closed to finish a non-threatening second and paid $2.90 and $2.40. It was two lengths back to pacesetter Gemswick Park, who totaled $3.10 at 3-1. The exacta yielded $37, the trifecta $116.50, and the 1-5-10-3 superfecta, with 17-1 War Echo (Tapit) in fourth, was worth $994. Coffee in Bed (Toccet), Heavenly Vision (Forestry), Winning Brew (Milwaukee Brew), Collegiate (Saarland), Miss Ocean City (Mineshaft) and Royal Ballade (Elusive Quality) came next under the wire. Bred in Kentucky by John Murphy, Sky Diva initially passed through the sales ring at the 2007 Keeneland September sale, bringing the gavel down at $100,000, and sold again for $250,000 earlier this year at the Fasig-Tipton Florida February sale. She's out of the Unbridled mare Swift Girl, who is also the dam of multiple Grade 1-placed stakes winner Quick Little Miss (Freud), a yearling colt by Posse and a 2008 filly by Bluegrass Cat. The 11-year-old mare is out of Grade 3 winner Gather the Clan (Ire) (General Assembly), which makes her a half-sister to this year's American Oaks Invitational (G1) victress Pure Clan (Pure Prize) and Grade 2 hero Greater Good (Intidab). Klesaris said the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) on October 24 at Santa Anita will probably be next. "Synthetic surface (at Santa Anita) is something we're all up against; it's just a big unknown factor," the conditioner said. "But regardless, the Breeders' Cup is a strong possibility for us."
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