S. S. Stone grinds out Skip Away score

Last updated: 4/3/11 8:12 PM

S. S. Stone earned his first stakes victory in the Skip Away
(Joe Ganley/EquiSport Photos)

Robert V. LaPenta’s S. S. STONE (Birdstone) tracked the early pace set by
Colizeo (Distorted Humor) during Sunday’s $100,000
Skip Away S. (G3) at
Gulfstream Park, ranged up to take command when the leader began faltering and
held the late rally of former stablemate Jackson Bend (Hear No Evil) to score by
two lengths. With Julien Leparoux aboard, the Nick Zito charge finished up 1
3/16 miles on the fast main track in 1:55 3/5 to return $12.60, $6 and $3.80 as
the 5-1 fourth choice.

Colizeo took the lead right out of the gate, setting splits of :23 4/5, :48
1/5 and 1:12 2/5 with S. S. Stone keeping in close attendance to the outside.
The pair hit the turn, and Colizeo began fading as S. S. Stone unleashed his
run. The gray five-year-old took over through a mile in 1:36 2/5, but had to
contend with Jackson Bend, who had taken up a stalking position just behind
while three wide. Jackson Bend managed to wear down Colizeo late to gain second,
but S. S. Stone wouldn’t give any ground to earn his first stakes victory.

Jackson Bend had a length to spare over 2-1 favorite Colizeo on the wire,
with Ron the Greek (Full Mandate) another three lengths back in fourth.
Drosselmeyer (Distorted Humor), the second choice at nearly 3-1, filled the
fifth spot. Jardim (Brz) (Ski Champ), Moe Man (Yes It’s True), Gabriel’s Hill
(A.P. Indy), Our Dark Knight (Medaglia d’Oro), Wingedlie (Winged Foot Willie)
and King Ghidorah (Black Mambo) completed the order under the line.

“He ran good. I’m disappointed he didn’t win, but I’m happy,” trainer
Stanley Gold said of Jackson Bend. “If I had to picked a post position,
I wouldn’t have picked the 11, but there are advantages to being on the
outside. (S. S. Stone) overcame (post 10) and won and we overcame it and
finished second. I can’t complain about the post.”

S. S. Stone was trying stakes company for only the second time here, having
run eighth and last in the 2008 Best Pal S. (G2) in his previous try. That came
while he was under the tutelage of Doug O’Neill, for whom the gray broke his
maiden at first asking. The pair wouldn’t taste victory again, and S. S. Stone
was transferred to Zito in mid-December.

The lightly raced horse ran fifth in his bow for the new stable and was next
entered in a $20,000 claiming race at Gulfstream to start the year. A dominating
eight-length victory in that contest proved he was capable of much more, and S.
S. Stone proceeded to record a pair of easy wins against allowance company in
his past two. Now riding a four-race win streak, he improved his career mark to
10-5-0-2 and boosted his career earnings to $154,130.

“He was in California with Doug O’Neill and came up with some issues after
the last time he ran at Del Mar. He came to me and we tried to get him started
at Calder, which is a tough track to come back on and he didn’t run well,” Zito
said. “We talked about it after that race and Mr. LaPenta said to go ahead and
drop him in ($20,000 claiming price). We were on pins and needles that we might
lose him, but he won and nobody took him. He’s just gone from one step to the
next and here we are today. He’s (by) Birdstone, so that makes his success even
more emotional for me.”

Zito, who saddled Birdstone for a victory in the 2004 Belmont S. (G1), said
he would take things one step at a time with S. S. Stone.

Bred in Kentucky by Marylou Whitney Stables, S. S. Stone brought $135,000 as
a Keeneland September yearling before RNAing for $300,000 as a Fasig-Tipton
February two-year-old. He is out of multiple stakes winner Sing and Swing
(Dixieland Band), who has also produced a pair of younger full siblings to the
Sway Away winner — an unraced sophomore named Saratoga Swing and an unnamed
juvenile filly.

S. S. Stone’s second dam is 1975 Kentucky Oaks (G2) queen Sun and Snow
(*Hawaii), who is also the dam of 1990 Davona Dale S. victress Windansea
(Conquistador Cielo). That one would go on in the breeding shed to foal Grade 3
winner Belong to Sea (Belong to Me) as well as stakes winners Truman C. (Capote)
and Power Train (Cox’s Ridge). One can also find in this female family Group 2
hero Fisich (Halling).