Sunday Girl answered the turf question and did so with authority after leading throughout under her regular rider Katie Davis to register a 2 1/4-length victory over Silver Skillet in the $125,000 John Hettinger Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares Sunday at Aqueduct.
Sunday Girl had been entered once previously on grass by trainer David Duggan, for a second-level optional claiming and allowance dash last summer at Saratoga. She ultimately won that race after it was switched to the main track due to wet weather and the resulting condition of the turf course. Her ability to handle turf while moving “out of her comfort zone,” as Duggan described it, was key to the outcome of the six-furlong Hettinger.
Sunday Girl broke alertly and wasted little time sprinting to the lead while stalked by Cara’s Time down the backstretch. She readily shook off her early pursuer on settling into the stretch, opened a comfortable advantage despite not switching leads until midstretch, and was never seriously threatened while kept under pressure to the end.
Silver Skillet, never far back, angled wide leaving the turn, rallied mildly down the center of the course and was easily second-best, finishing 1 1/4 lengths in front of her stablemate, the even-money favorite Loon Cry, who checked in third.
The victory was the fourth in a row for Sunday Girl, all with Davis aboard, and her third stakes success. The 4-year-old daughter of Central Banker is owned in partnership by Mitre Box Stable, Clear Stars Stable and Eighth Note Stable.
Sunday Girl covered the distance over firm footing in 1:07.76 seconds and paid $7.20.
“I was concerned,” Duggan said of Sunday’s Girl’s turf debut. “We had breezed her on it at Saratoga and she got over it fine, but when you get into a competitive level like this, it’s a concern without having tried it.”
Duggan said he was relieved to see his filly cruising along on an uncontested lead.
“I knew we were going to be close to the pace, but being given an easy lead like that, I didn’t think that was going to happen,” said Duggan. “It was fantastic.”
Winning her turf debut also opens new doors for Sunday’s Girl as the season progresses.
“This opens many avenues to where we go next,” Duggan said. “That was a test run. Now we’ll go home, drink a little champagne and ponder where our next move is.”
Davis said she loved the way Sunday’s Girl handled the going.
“She went nicely to the lead down the backside, I knew I had it,” Davis noted. “She just floated over the turf.”
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