Sky Mesa has first winner...

[Maven]

http://thoroughbredtimes.com/breeding-n ... -Mesa.aspx

Twenty Eight Hours becomes first winner for freshman sire Sky Mesa

Twenty Eight Hours closed with determination to prevail by a neck in a $48,500 maiden special weight race on Thursday at Keeneland Race Course to become the first winner for Grade 1 winner Sky Mesa.

Twenty Eight Hours, who is out of the unraced Clever Trick mare Game Trick, won the 4 1/2-furlong race in :51.08 over a fast track for owner Cobra Farm and trainer Stanley Hough.

Sky Mesa, a seven-year-old by Pulpit out of the Storm Cat mare Caress, stands for $30,000 at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Kentucky. He has 89 foals in his first crop.

Sky Mesa won three times, including two graded stakes victories, from six starts and amassed $633,076 in earnings over two seasons.

As a juvenile, Sky Mesa won the Hopeful Stakes (G1) and the Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (G2). The following year, Sky Mesa posted runner-up and third-place finishes in the Haskell Invitational Handicap (G1) and the Dwyer Stakes (G2), respectively.



I've said it multiple times and i'll say it again, there is no better pedigree in the bluegrass and his physical is great.

I would say 80% of the foals i've seen of his are outstanding which is a big number, especially for me.

I think he might be the most exciting young stallion in my book of quite some time.

Hope he gets many more.

[Rokeby Forever]

AP Indy ran 11 times....Pulpit raced six times....Sky Mesa raced six times....and this colt has raced once already? Time's running out!!!

[Maven]

Yes, yes, I knew you'd be the first responder. Negativity is a disease... keep those legs closed, Rok!

[Betsy]

Maven, thanks for posting. I'm just as thrilled as could be - Sky Mesa was so talented and he's so well bred. This is so exciting, watching the first crop of horses that I've rooted for and loved on the track.

My favorite is Mineshaft, who I strongly believe will be a great sire, but I have very high hopes for Sky Mesa. Pulpit has some promising sons at stud, none more than this guy.

FYI - Mineshaft's full brother, Rock Slide (talented horse in his own right), sired his first winner yesterday. I loved this guy and word is that he's got some good babies......surprisingly so for his pedigree.

[Rokeby Forever]

Maven, I'm not negative...I just ply 'em with tequila just in case.

[chicago78]

Sky Mesa was a really good horse, but also one of the most mismanaged horses ever. His owner/trainer are like royalty in Kentucky so they get a free pass for some reason, but they do some pretty crazy things. After a fantastic 2 year old year, they rushed him back to make the summer classics, running a disappointing 3rd in the Dwyer, then a second in the Haskell, followed by the bad travers. so the horse basically ran 3 races in in very quick succession in both his 2 and 3 year old years. Too often the horses get blamed for their connections mistakes.


I think he's going to be a very good sire though, and will be able to get durable, versatile horses. His pedigree is fantastic, and will match up with a ton of mares. He's probably the freshman sire that I'm most looking forward to following. We have a 2 year old by him that is pretty good, and a yearling that we like very much.

[tinners way]

Sky Mesa has a ton of pedigree. Another promisiing son of Pulpit, Special Rate, arguably has a pedigree to match Sky Mesa, and while standing in Texas will have a tougher go, although he has gotten quite a few converts that have seen his first foals.

[Rokeby Forever]

In Sky Mesa's case, Chicago is 100% correct - the Oxley/Ward team destroy young horses, so Sky Mesa should get a pass on his shortened career. But how many Pulpits do stay sound? Tapit broke down, Stroll never raced more than six times a year, Essence Of Dubai went wrong.....imagine how good Corinthian could have been. If one guy can hold a Pulpit together, it's Shug with Sightseeing - he might be the Travers winner this year if he holds together.

Chicago...how was Sky Mesa more mismanaged than Strong Contender or Dr Pleasure? How long did Monarchos stay "good?" The barn is a butchershop.

[halo]

Sky Mesa ran 3 races in quick succession at 3?? The dates of those 3 races were July 6, August 3, and August 23. Thats being rushed back from a 2 year old career? Sounds more like to me that they were dealing with soundness issues, and a horse whos peers caught up and passed him at 3.

[ct2346]

Just back from OBS Apr and the Sky mesa filly there was one of the highlights. Nice looking and nice work. Sold pretty well too. If she's indicative he will be alright.

[Rokeby Forever]

Don't you sometimes wonder why a Sky Mesa will be sold at an April Ocala sale? I generally think that if a horse like that has quality, it would sell at the Select sales in Ocala. Maybe it just stood out compared to some of the Drewmans, Gulf Storms, and Outofthebox's in the sale.

[ct2346]

There are a lot of reasons why horses end up in particular sales. Some are just not ready in March, or even worse yet, for them, in February. And while there is a steady diet of Double Honors, Drewmans etc., there are also a number of Stormy Atlantics and Hook and Ladders and the like. Granted they are not the million dollar variety, but that is not what this particular sale is aimed at. Keep in mind too that lots of Stormy Atlantics were selling here for a number of years before folks realized what he was and shipped him to Ky.

[Rokeby Forever]

Hi CT,

But Stormy Atlantic was a Florida stallion, so it makes sense to sell his offspring in Ocala. But Sky Mesa is a KY bred, KY stallion with foals selling for six figures. This particular sale just seems like the worng venue.

The April sale has always sold a good number of New York Breds (Precise End, especially), and Hook and Ladder is quite a story. He stands for $6,000 in NY, but his foals are selling like crazy...you can bet he'll be in KY before long.

[Cree]

Umm, just wanted to cut in here. At that same April sale, there were offspring from the following "big name" Kentucky stallions:

3 by Aldebaran
6 by Awesome Again
9 by Broken Vow
2 by Cherokee Run
one by Deputy Minister
3 by Dixieland Band
one by Dynaformer
7 by Harlan's Holiday

Shall I go on? I don't think you can knock Sky Mesa for having a 2-year-old at an April sale.

[Pete]

Hi Rokeby,

Hook And Ladder stands at Sequel and they're the best at making a stallion in NY. They play the 2yo sales to pump their bubble stallions and will even raise their fees like Hook And Ladder who was $3,500 and is now $6,000. They did well with previously with Precise End and Freud.

Your expectation that a Sky Mesa that sells in OBS has some significance is just silly. Smart sellers want to be the biggest fish in the pond that they can be.

Regards,

Pete