First Samurai enjoyed a stellar Thanksgiving weekend when two of his offspring—Miss Sky Warrior and Stacked Deck—scored stakes victories on consecutive days Nov. 25 and 26.
The son of Giant’s Causeway–Freddie Fisson, by Dixieland Band now has three black-type scores to his credit for the month of November.
First Samurai picked up his first victory of the month when Miss Sky Warrior captured the G3 Tempted Stakes going a mile at Aqueduct Nov. 5.
The juvenile filly, who was making her stakes debut in the $200,000 Tempted, maintained her fine form three weeks later when she held on for victory in the G2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct Race Course.
Trained by Kelly Breen for Arlene London’s Arlene’s Sun Star Stables, Miss Sky Warrior stepped up in class when she turned back a late bid from favorite Jamyson ‘n Ginger to prevail in the $300,000 Demoiselle for 3-year-old fillies. She completed the 1 1/8-miles in 1:53.34 under jockey Paco Lopez.
“Two turns was key for her, as opposed to the one-turn mile last time, where she had a right to get tired,” said trainer Kelly Breen. “After this, we’re going to give her some (rest and relaxation) and hope to have her back at Gulfstream Park in February.
“She’s a game filly. If I have a thought in the back of my head of trying to get her to the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), I’ll start mapping it out. It would be great to go with a horse that’s legit.”
As an official prep race on the Road to the Longines Kentucky Oaks, the Demoiselle awards 10-4-2-1 qualifying points to the top four finishers. Miss Sky Warrior, a winner of three of four career starts, has now earned $348,750.
A third-generation Kentucky homebred, Miss Sky Warrior is out of the Conquistador Cielo mare Sky Minister. She has a yearling half-brother named Double Sky (Sky Mesa). Her dam was bred back to Paynter this spring.
First Samurai’s other big winner of the weekend, 2015 Sovereign Award winner Stacked Deck, notched the third graded stakes score of his career with a victory in the Kennedy Road Stakes (G2) at Woodbine Nov. 25.
It was the second time in as many years the 5-year-old sprinter has won this six-furlong event and puts him in a strong position to repeat as Canada’s champion sprinter.
The final time of 1:08.19 was just 0.03 off the track record. Stacked Deck became only the second horse to win the Kennedy Road Stakes twice since its inception in 1989.
Bred and raced by Bruce Lunsford, Stacked Deck is out of the Smart Strike mare, Bel Air Beauty. He now has nine career wins and earnings of $611,199.First Samurai sired G1 stakes winners in each of his first three crops: Lea, Executiveprivilege and Justin Phillip. In total, he is represented by 20
First Samurai sired G1 stakes winners in each of his first three crops: Lea, Executiveprivilege and Justin Phillip. In total, he is represented by 20 blacktype winners and 36 stakes horses.