Rising Star Hopes to 'Fly So High' in Davona Dale

'TDN Rising Star' Fly So High (Malibu Moon) will attempt to provide her Hall of Fame conditioner Shug McGaughey with his 2000th win while making her stakes debut in the GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream Saturday. Romping by 7 3/4 lengths at second asking going a mile at Aqueduct Nov. 16, the $675,000 KEESEP buy proved that effort was no fluke with a 5 1/2-length optional claimer score over this track and trip Jan. 4 (video).

“She shipped down here and I thought she ran fine against winners and she's trained well here,” McGaughey told the Gulfstream notes team. “She's a great big filly and I'll be anxious to get her around two turns. This race will be another stepping-stone and we'll be able to run against 3-year-old fillies.”

While the Phipps Stable representative is trying stakes company for the first time, Take Charge Paula (Take Charge Indy) is already a proven commodity in black-type company. A three-time stakes winner and Grade III-placed as a juvenile, the dark bay was privately purchased and transferred from Kelly Breen to Kiaran McLaughlin for her sophomore campaign. She proved a worthy investment for her new connections with a decisive victory in this venue's GIII Forward Gal S. Feb. 3. Also exiting the Forward Gal are Sultry (Malibu Moon) (second), Heavenhasmynikki (Majestic Warrior) (fourth) and Miss Mo Mentum (Uncle Mo) (sixth).

“She had one bad run around two turns [when 10th in the GII Pocahontas S.], but she had a troubled trip that day so we're going to throw that out,” McLaughlin said. “She's a very nice filly and this race will be a good stepping-stone for whatever we do. The one-turn mile should be a good test for us to see whether we go two turns next time or go back to seven furlongs.”

Sunny Skies (Animal Kingdom) could prove to be any kind in this seasonal bow. Following a nine-length graduation on debut at Keeneland with a gate-to-wire victory in Churchill's Debutante S. over the summer, the Normandy Farm homebred switched up her running style in the Aug. 20 Ellis Park Debutante S., making a wide, late bid to be third. Third again coming from off the pace in the GII Pocahontas S. Sept. 16, the chestnut checked in sixth when trying turf for the first time in Keeneland's GIII Jessamine S. Oct. 11. Sunny Skies enters off a half-mile bullet at Payson Park in :48 4/5 Feb. 22 and may benefit from the cut back to one-turn.

Another runner worth a look is the Mark Hennig-trained Cache (Distorted Humor), who enters this test off a 2 3/4-length graduation in her seven-panel unveiling over this strip Jan. 27. The $500,000 KEESEP buy was a bit green that day, but ran to the money and looked like one who would improve with both distance and experience.

“I would have liked to possibly run in an allowance race, but there isn't one to run her in at this point,” Hennig said. “I think she's a stakes-caliber filly, there's no doubt, but we're giving away a handful of experience. It's a lot to ask of any horse to go from a maiden victory in their first start to run against graded-stakes winners in her next start.”