Ontario-bred Skywire, Sovereign Award Contender, at Turfway

Lou Tucci and Gary Barber’s SKYWIRE, a favourite to win the Sovereign Award for Champion Older Male (Main Track) for the 2020 season, makes one more start as a 4-year-old in the $65,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes at Turfway Park New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31.

The handsome bay son of Afleet Alex – Meandering Storm by Gone West won two graded stakes races at Woodbine this year and comes into the Prairie Bayou off a victory in the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes on Nov. 7. Skywire also won the July 4 Eclipse Stakes (G2) and was seocnd in the Seagram and Durham Cups, both Grade 3s. He could be a finalist for Horse of the Year as well.

Skywire is the 3 to 1 second favourite with Chris Landeros on board for the Prairie Bayou at 1 1/16 miles. Trained by Mark Casse, the gelding has post 7 in a 12-horse field (there are also eligibles).

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Favoured at 5 to 2 in the morning line is Juddmonte’s Set Piece (GB) who is 4 for 4 on synthetic dirt in his career including a recent allowance win at Turfway.

Also in the field is Ontario-bred Hemp Hemp Hurray, a 5-year-old by Artie Schiller who has been in good grass form in starter allowances in 2020,

The Prairie Bayou is race 5 on Dec. 31 with a 5:14 post time.

The Dec. 31 card at Turfway also features the debut of Ontario-bred 2-year-old H C HOLIDAY, a colt owned and bred by Ivan Dalos and trained by American Mike Maker. The colt is by first year sire Ami’s Holiday from Henry’s Collection by Henrythenavigator.

H C Holiday had some sharp workout times at Woodbine with trainer Josie Carroll including a 59 1/5 move from the gate on Nov. 11.

*Recent winners recognizable to the Canadian scene include NO QUESTION, an Ontario-bred filly by Second in Command, who won a claiming race on Tuesday at Penn National for owner STEVEN CHIRCOP, who has horses at that track with Brandon Kulp. The filly stalked early in the one mile dirt race and went on to win by 3 /4 of a length at 7 to 2.

Later on the Penn card, Chircop’s YOU CAN’T CATCH HER finished second as the favourite in another claiming race. That one could not catch Ontario-bred BEARKONTIE, owned and trained by Robert Johnson, who led all the way to win the 1 1/16 mile event.

On Dec. 28 at Tampa Bay Downs, UNION APPRECIATION, bred by Huntington Stud Farm in Ontario and owned by Colebrook Farms, won a $16,000 maiden race. The son of Union Rags – I Thirtyfive by Malibu Moon won by a length with a 56 Beyer Figure. Mike Wright trains.