Sky Mesa’s 3-year-old filly My Impression was ultra-impressive in Saturday’s $150,000 Commonwealth Oaks (G3), winning the 1 1/8-mile turf race with a stellar stretch run for her first graded stakes win.
The Stuart Janney III homebred was in no hurry early on as Jose Ortiz let the bay filly sit well off the pace. Ortiz waited patiently around the final turn until a good number of the fillies in front of him went wide into the stretch, when Ortiz and My Impression took full advantage of the opening inside, rocketing to the front and drawing off in the final furlong to win by 3 1/4-lengths in 1:46.57, less than a half-second off the track record.
“Going into the turn she was going perfect and when I hit the quarter pole I was just looking for a place to go,” said Ortiz. “I felt like I had horse but Stella Rose and [Manuel] Franco they were getting out and I was a little worried that I wasn’t able to find room as soon as I wanted. But as soon as I saw the rail I went, and she responded very well.
“She gave me a great acceleration. When I hit her the first time and she felt it she started running and after that, I looked at the board and she was an easy winner in just a hand ride. I want to thank the owner, Mr. Janney, and [trainer] Shug [McGaughey] for the opportunity.”
Winner of the Christiana S. this summer at Delaware Park, My Impression upped her record to 4-0-0 in seven starts, with earnings of $172,315. She is one of Sky Mesa’s 15 stakes winners this year.
