Prior to her Long Island reverse, Changing Skies had never finished
“I think her last race left Bill (Mott) kind of scratching his head
|
The early pace was quick enough, as Speak Easy Gal (West Acre) had to work to
stride clear of Becky’s Exchange (Exchange Rate) after the opening quarter in
:23 2/5. Speak Easy Gal stayed a length ahead through fractions of :47 4/5, 1:12
4/5 and 1:37 4/5, but she was already under assault on the far turn. The
stalking Casablanca Smile, who had been in striking range throughout, overtook
the longtime leader and clocked 2:03 for the 1 1/4-mile split.
Meanwhile, Changing Skies was making eye-catching progress beneath Kent
Desormeaux. Reserved in eighth for the initial mile, she rapidly advanced into
third on the final turn and accosted Casablanca Smile at the head of the lane.
Although the co-highweights at 121 pounds, and the top two wagering interests,
now appeared on the verge of fighting it out to the finish, the duel was
short-lived. Changing Skies had too much firepower for Casablanca Smile and
bounded away with authority.
“They left there running the first part of it and went the early fractions
kind of quick,” Desormeaux said. “I didn’t want to get caught up in that, so I
let my mare settle back and she responded exactly the way I needed her to. She
put us in the race when I asked her, and then I just took a clear outside path,
and she showed them who was the best in the stretch.”
Casablanca Smile, the 8-5 second choice, furnished $2.80 and $2.40. Tarrip
(Green Desert) kept on another 1 1/4 lengths adrift in third, and the 10-1
chance paid $4 for her efforts. The 11-1 Liberally (Ire) (Statue of Liberty)
capped the superfecta after crossing the wire a further 4 1/4 lengths away in
fourth. Speak Easy Gal tired to fifth, followed by Dancing Rage (Sligo Bay
[Ire]), Becky’s Exchange, Bodua (North Light [Ire]), The Niagara Queen (Langfuhr)
and Academicienne (Royal Academy). Sweet and Flawless (Unbridled’s Song) was
scratched.
Changing Skies’ third stakes victory advanced her line to 18-5-6-3 and
boosted her earnings to $435,993. First trained in England by Brian Meehan, the
bay missed by a head in the 2008 Prix de Psyche (Fr-G3) and placed third in that
season’s Cheshire Oaks and Prix Charles Laffitte. Changing Skies raced only once
for Meehan in 2009, fading to fourth in the Middleton S. (Eng-G3), and joined
Mott later that summer. After capturing an allowance at Belmont Park in her U.S.
debut, she finished second in a Keeneland allowance to wrap up her 2009
campaign.
Successful in The Very One S. (G3) in her 2010 bow, Changing Skies finished
second to Lady Shakespeare (Theatrical [Ire]) in both the Bewitch S. (G3) and
New York S. (G2). She earned her second stakes score in the Waya S. at Saratoga,
defeating Casablanca Smile by 2 1/4 lengths, and suffered a last-stride loss in
the Flower Bowl Invitational (G1). Changing Skies was accordingly bet down to
3-5 favoritism in the Long Island, only to come up uncharacteristically empty in
the drive, but she left that disappointment well behind here.
The Irish-bred mare is the sixth stakes winner out of the outstanding
producer Magnificient Style (Silver Hawk), whose biggest career victory came in
the 1996 Musidora S. (Eng-G3). Changing Skies is a full sister to English
juvenile co-highweight filly Playful Act (Ire) and Group 2-winning stayer
Percussionist. Playful Act scored in the 2004 Fillies Mile (Eng-G1) and May Hill
S. (Eng-G2), added the 2005 Lancashire Oaks (Eng-G2) to her resume, and also
finished runner-up in the Irish Oaks (Ire-G1). In 2007, Playful Act sold for
$10.5 million at Keeneland November, setting a world record auction price for a
broodmare, and she is already the dam of the English stakes-placed Giants Play
(Giant’s Causeway).
Magnificient Style’s other group winner is Echoes in Eternity (Ire) (Spinning
World). Queen of the 2003 Sun Chariot S. (Eng-G2) and 2004 Park Hill S.
(Eng-G2), Echoes in Eternity is herself the dam of current English stakes winner
and Cumberland Lodge S. (Eng-G3) near-misser Whispering Gallery (Daylami [Ire]).
Magnificient Style is also responsible for English stakes scorer and Group
2-placed Petara Bay (Peintre Celebre) and multiple stakes winner and Grade
3-placed Stylelistick (Storm Cat).
Magnificient Style is herself a half-sister to Charles H. Strub S. (G1)
winner and sire Siberian Summer (Siberian Express). This is the family of
Cavalryman (Halling), the 2009 Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-G1) hero who was third in
that year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1); Grade 1 victor Silver Ending
(Silver Hawk); German highweight older stayer Double Honour (Highest Honour);
and a few New Zealand champions, including St Reims (Zabeel) and Champagne (Zabeel).
Changing Skies’ fourth dam is the influential Delta (*Nasrullah), the 1968
Broodmare of the Year.