Thunderstorms can’t stop Sunny Skies in Debutante

A line of thunderstorms raced through the Louisville, Kentucky, area Friday night, but the powerful storms couldn’t deter Sunny Skies from living up to her 6-5 favoritism in the $100,000 Debutante Stakes on Churchill Downs’ closing night.

With jockey Robby Albarado aboard, the Normandy Farms homebred led every step of the way, setting splits of :21.48, :46.09 and :58.61 before stopping the clock in 1:11.83 over the sloppy, sealed main track.

Sunny Skies had 1 3/4 lengths to spare on 17-1 shot Upset Brewing, who held second by a neck over Waki Patriot. Red Dread filled the fourth spot and was followed under the wire by Lady O’Toole, Amberspatriot, 7-2 second choice She’s a Julie, Patrona Margarita, Genuwine, Caroline the Great, Chelada and Rockin Royalty.

Sunny Skies paid $4.60 for moving her record to a perfect two-for-two. The Kenny McPeek trainee, who is by 2011 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Animal Kingdom, has banked $93,660 .

The Kentucky-bred miss is out of the unraced Marquetry mare Skyscape, making her a half-sister to stakes-placed winners K O Love and Reality Show. Sunny Skies’ fifth dam is a half-sister to the great Secretariat.