Sky is the limit in Allaire duPont

Skylighter ran away from her rivals in the Allaire duPont (Jim McCue Photography/Maryland Jockey Club) Darley Stable’s SKYLIGHTER (Sky Mesa) made all the running in Saturday’s $150,000 Allaire duPont Distaff S. (G2), the opening stakes feature on the Preakness S. (G1) undercard, drawing off to score by 4 1/4 lengths under jockey Julien Leparoux. The Bobby Frankel charge was sent off the 2-5 favorite once her entrymate Sea Chanter (War Chant) was withdrawn, and finished up 1 1/16 miles on the fast Pimlico dirt in 1:44 1/5. Skylighter split rivals to take the lead soon after the doors opened, setting splits of :25 1/5, :49 3/5, 1:13 1/5 and 1:37 4/5 before crossing under the wire to return $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10 to her backers. Unforgotten (Northern Afleet) was content to run in the back while saving ground early, swung out rounding the turn and closed well to take down second by a nose over All Smiles (Awesome Again). The 4-1 second choice was worth $3.20 and $2.20 while All Smiles paid $2.40 at 7-1 for holding third by three parts of a length. Tammy’s Victress (Yankee Victor) followed in fourth, with Two Columbus (Two Punch) completing the order under the wire. The exotics gave back $8.20 (exacta), $24.40 (trifecta) and $30.40 (1-2-6-3 superfecta). Striking Tomisue (Smart Strike), like Sea Chanter, was scratched in favor of Belmont Park’s Shuvee H. (G2) later in the day.

Skylighter needed six races to finally break her maiden, but finished second
or third in four of those. Once earning that first win, the bay lass returned in
an allowance/optional claimer at Belmont last July and added a victory in that
one to her line. She tried stakes company for the first time in the Indiana Oaks
(G2), rallying from midpack to score a three-length win, then finished out her
three-year-old season with a nice runner-up effort in the Falls City H. (G2) at
Churchill Downs in November. She returned off the more than two-month break to
be fourth in her seasonal bow, but got back to the winner’s circle here while
improving her record to 11-4-3-2, $451,212.

Bred in Kentucky by Stonerside Stable, Skylighter is out of the winning
Painted Lady (Broad Brush), herself a daughter of four-time Grade 1 queen
Nastique (Naskra). Painted Lady counts Grade 3 victress Thunder Kitten (Storm
Cat) as a half-sister and Japanese Grade 1 winner Nobo True as a full brother.
Also in the same family are half-siblings Transient Trend (Time for a Change), a
Grade 2 heroine, and Solo Survivor (Pleasant Tap), a Grade 3 victress, as well
as 1972 champion sprinter Chou Croute (Lt. Stevens). Skylighter is the younger
half-sister to multiple stakes-placed Brushed Gold (Touch Gold), and the pair
also have a 2009 Stormy Atlantic half-brother.