Sky Mesa’s 3-year-old colt Sky Promise made it three straight stakes wins in the span of 32 days when he captured the the $150,000 British Columbia Derby (G3) on Sept. 8 at Hastings Race Course.
The win comes just two weeks after the bay colt won the Canadian Derby (G3), with the August 6th Manitoba Derby win starting the streak. His lifetime mark now stands at 4-3-3 in 18 starts, with earnings of $284,439.
Like he did in his prior two wins, Sky Promise sat well off the pace under regular rider Rico Walcott. It wasn’t until there was about three furlongs to go that Sky Promise began to roll. Three-wide on the final bend, he ducked to the inside at the top of the stretch, catching Weekend Wizard in the final strides to win the 1 1/8-mile contest by three-quarters of a length (VIDEO).
“Going into the far turn, halfway around the turn, when (Weekend Wizard) kicked clear, I thought we were in trouble,” winning trainer Roberto Diodoro said. “But (my horse) fired down the lane. Last hundred yards I thought we might get nailed, but he closed fast and ran a big race.”
Sky Mesa has accounted for 10 stakes horses this year, while Sky Promise’s win pushed his 2018 progeny earnings past the $3 million mark. Sky Mesa’s lifetime stats stand at 120 stakes horses and more than $52 million in progeny earnings.
