Making her first start since being claimed for $50,000 out of a winning effort in a Parx optional claiming event Aug. 10, Fly On Angel caught a flyer out of the gate, set a strong pace up front and managed to last over 'TDN Rising Star' Wicked Whisper by a diminishing half-length to take Friday evening's GIII Charles Town Oaks.
Fly On Angel was quickly into stride from gate seven and dropped down onto the fence while taking two-pronged pressure to her outside. Able to pinch a bit of a break turning up the backstretch, she was ridden along three furlongs for home as Wicked Whisper was getting under way from about fifth. Still clear with a furlong and a half to race, Fly On Angel began to shorten stride noticeably and although her Grade I-winning foe made good ground late, the wire arrived in time.
A six-length debut winner at Penn National last September, Fly On Angel tacked on a Parx allowance in November ahead of a fourth in Laurel's Gin Talking S. Dec. 28. Ninth in a Gulfstream turf sprint first off the layoff June 19, she finished runner-up in a Delaware optional claimer when not in for the tag before being haltered last time.
Pedigree Notes:
The third graded winner and fifth black-type winner overall for her sire, Fly On Angel was a $15,000 Keeneland November weanling and $20,000 Keeneland September yearling before fetching $23,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. The winner's stakes-placed dam was sold for $45,000 in foal to Honor Code at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale and that produce, a gelding now named Jack Gave Back, worked three furlongs in :36.40 (3/11) at Churchill Aug. 18.
Friday Night, Charles Town
CHARLES TOWN OAKS-GIII, $200,000, Charles Town, 8-28, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:26.15, ft.
1–FLY ON ANGEL, 118, f, 3, by Palace Malice
1st Dam: Runge (SP), by Posse
2nd Dam: Tioga, by Hadif
3rd Dam: Saratoga Babe, by Saratoga Six
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($15,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $20,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $23,000 2yo '19 EASMAY). O-Joseph E Besecker; B-Machmer Hall & Haymarket Farm (KY); T-Claudio A Gonzalez; J-Fredy Peltroche. $116,400. Lifetime Record: 9-4-2-0, $225,160. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Wicked Whisper, 118, f, 3, Liam's Map–Zayanna, by Bernardini. 'TDN Rising Star' ($500,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Alex & JoAnn Lieblong; B-Siena Farms LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $38,800.
3–Princess Cadey, 120, f, 3, Dialed In–Dyrce, by Sandpit (Brz). ($28,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $16,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Magic Stable, LLC; B-Martin J Keogh & Tanya Johnson (KY); T-Claudio A Gonzalez. $19,400.
Margins: HF, NO, 1. Odds: 9.10, 4.80, 16.20.
Also Ran: Ankle Monitor, Tonalist's Shape, Turtle Trax, Boerne, Lenzi's Lucky Lady, Gifted Heart. Scratched: Call On Mischief, Hopeful Growth. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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