Chelsea Durand Photo

Highland Sky opens up in stretch to win John's Call

by Brian Bohl

Highland Sky tracked the early speed and had plenty in reserve entering the stretch, taking command from the outside and cruising to his first win in 14 months and first stakes win in three years in an 8 ¼-length romp in the 1 1/4-mile $100,000 John's Call moved off the grass on Wednesday at Saratoga Race Course.

With rain moving the race from 1 5/8 miles on the Mellon turf to a sloppy and sealed main track, Turco Bravo led the four-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 23.81 seconds, the half in 48.46 and three-quarters in 1:13.29 as jockey Manny Franco kept Highland Sky covered in third position near the rail.

Out of the turn, Franco tipped Highland Sky wide, where he overtook Turco Bravo and Red Knight at the top of the stretch and continued home under a drive, hitting the wire in 2:04.32.

"They told me to try to keep him together and don't be too far away from [the leaders]. The horse was taking me the whole way around and was going really well," Franco said. "I was so happy when we passed the five-eighths pole. He was dragging me. I knew I had a lot of horse underneath me."

Owned by Joyce Young, Gerald McMains and Jerrie Stewart McManis, Highland Sky the 2-1 second choice, returned $6.90 on a $2 win wager. The 6-year-old Sky Mesa gelding registered his first win since June 2018 and his second stakes win overall, adding to his victory in April 2016 in the Woodhaven at Aqueduct Racetrack.

"We usually scratch [when a race comes off the turf], but I thought it was going to be a real small field and I didn't think he would mind the slop, which he didn't," Tagg said. "He just has to be kept a good hold of early. If someone can just keep him collected, and keep him quiet early, then he has a hell of a kick."

Red Knight, the 3-5 favorite trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, finished 1 ¾ lengths ahead of Turco Bravo for second under meet-leading rider Jose Ortiz.

Redicean completed the order of finish. Pillar Mountain, Nakamura and Proquestor were scratched.

Live racing resumes Thursday with a 10-race card that features the Grade 1, $150,000 New York Turf Writers Cup for steeplechasers in Race 1 at 12:50 p.m. Eastern and the $100,000 Riskaverse for fillies going one mile on the inner turf in Race 9 at 5:06 p.m.