It was a General Sire List-topping victory for RUNHAPPY on Saturday when son Kinetic Sky registered his first stakes victory in the Stymie Stakes to become the fourth stakes winner of the year for his sire.
Third in a Grade 3 to start the year, Kinetic Sky handled the rainy weather well in the one-mile race when breaking closest to the rail.
Kinetic Sky found himself a few lengths behind the leader as the back marker of the main pack with two other horses trailing behind him. It wasn’t until midturn that Kinetic Sky started making up serious ground with the horse racing in the middle of the track down the stretch.
It was a three-way battle close to the line with Kinetic Sky getting ahead just in time to win by a nose.
This was the seventh win and 22nd top three finish in 26 starts for the RUNHAPPY 6-year-old, who is trained by Rick Dutrow for Sanford Goldfarb, Alan Kahn, David Tanzman, and Steven Spenanza.
The earner of $598,768, Kinetic Sky was a $450,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase after selling for $180,000 as a weanling.
He is out of the multiple stakes placed Sky America, who is a full sister to stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Third Dawn. That mare and one other Sky America half-sister have also produced stakes performers.
Sky America also has a 3-year-old full brother to RUNHAPPY named States United.
It’s been a big start to the year for RUNHAPPY, whose four stakes winners in 2024 is second best among all North American stallions.