Fly by Phil upsets Tropical Park Derby

Fly by Phil has punched his ticket to the Sam F. Davis (Jim Lisa Photos/Calder Race Course) One two-race win streak was extended to three while another came to an unpopular end in the $100,000 Tropical Park Derby (G3) at Calder on Friday, the first graded event of 2010. Gilbert G. Campbell’s homebred FLY BY PHIL (Act of Duty), within striking distance of longtime leader and 4-5 favorite Lost Aptitude (Aptitude) throughout the nine-furlong affair, overcame both a slow pace and a wide trip caused by the favorite’s drifting out through the stretch to post the 23-1 upset by a head. Under Eduardo Nunez for the first time, Fly by Phil returned $49, $13 and $7.20. Lost Aptitude, coming off back-to-back scores at Churchill Downs including the Grand Canyon H. by a widening 5 1/4 lengths, did nearly everything right for the opening seven furlongs, setting comfortable splits of :24, :50 and 1:15 2/5 while maintaining an advantage by as much as 2 1/2 lengths at one point. The colt began to get leg-weary over the tiring, yielding ground turning for home, however, and drifted out badly while clinging to a narrowing lead. Fly by Phil, who was second at the first call, had dropped back to fourth at the top of the stretch, but came on again between rivals to claim victory despite being forced toward the outer rail by Lost Aptitude. The final time was 1:52 4/5.

“Even though I haven’t ridden this horse before, I have breezed him several
times in the morning, so I know what he is like to ride,” Nunez said. “He was
pretty headstrong going into the first turn, then he settled down a bit and were
actually in a perfect position on the backstretch. The favorite on the lead
wasn’t stopping so it was a matter of my horse finishing strong for me and he
did.”

Lost Aptitude held second by a length, returning $2.60 and $2.10. Cat Park
(Tale of the Cat), who was even further out than the first two at the finish,
landed third by 3 1/4 lengths as the 7-2 second choice and paid $3.20. The
exacta was worth $135.60, the trifecta $469.20, and the 4-3-8-6 superfecta with
14-1 chance Our Champion (Value Plus) gave back $3,734.40.

Next under the wire were Three Deadly Sins (Repent), Becky’s Kitten (Kitten’s
Joy), Bernie the Maestro (Bernstein), Gator Tiger (Tiger Ridge), Sunrise Nursery
(Roman Ruler), Trippo (Trippi) and King Prada (El Prado [Ire]). Forty Nine Acres
(West Acre) was withdrawn.

Fly by Phil, who has made all five career starts at Calder for trainer
Kathleen O’Connell, debuted for a $50,000 tag on July 24 and missed by a head
going six furlongs. He bowed by a half-length in his next start, a maiden
special weight going seven furlongs, but broke through with a dazzling 10
3/4-length romp over a mile on September 20 in a race originally scheduled for
the grass. Off more than two months, Fly by Phil returned to win an entry-level
allowance by 2 1/2 lengths on December 11 at a mile and 70 yards. His record now
stands at 5-3-2-0, $101,100.

“We’ll look ahead now to the (February 13) Sam F. Davis (S. [G3]) at Tampa
Bay, which has been in the plans for awhile,” O’Connell said.

Produced from the unraced True Mood (Deputy Minister), the Florida-bred Fly
by Phil is a half-brother to an unnamed juvenile colt and an unnamed yearling
colt, both by West Acre. Fly by Phil’s third dam, Intimate Girl (Medaille d’Or),
produced the multiple Grade 1 winner and sire Afternoon Deelites (Private
Terms). This female family is also responsible for 1983 champion three-year-old
filly Heartlight No. One (Rock Talk), the 2007-08 champion steeplechaser Good
Night Shirt (Concern), and Grade 1 winner Soul of the Matter (Private Terms).