Sky Writer’s win in the $105,000 Snack S. at Indiana Downs topped a stakes double on Wednesday for Sky Mesa, with Leadem in Ken scoring in the Budweiser Special H. later in the day.
For Sky Writer, a 3-year-old trained by Michael Gorham, the Snack was his first stakes win and also his first start around two turns on the turf. The dark bay won the one-mile affair by a neck after a prolonged duel with In a Fog.
“You never really know how they’re going to perform on the turf until you get a chance to try it,” said Gorham. “We thought the Sky Mesa part of this horse is strong for a turf pedigree. He is a well bred horse and usually those are the kind of horses that step up in these kinds of races.”
Owned by Mast Thoroughbreds, Sky Writer upped his earnings to $128,051 with a record of 3-2-2 in nine starts.
Leadem in Ken, took a three-race winning streak into the Special and came away with his fourth straight win, besting Cowboy Cool by a half-length in the 6 1/2-furlong contest for older males.
The veteran campaigner, now eight, also has a win in the Gus Fonner S. and is 13-4-7 with earnings of $356,023 for owner Tyree Jacqueline Wolensky.
Leadem in Ken is a son of Last Kitten, whose siblings include multiple Grade 1 winners Kitten’s Joy and Precious Kitten, as well as two-time stakes winner Justenuffheart.
Besides his two most recent stakes winners, Sky Mesa has a total of nine stakes horses this year, while his lifetime progeny earnings recently surpassed the $51 million mark.
