Sky Classic Stakes at Woodbine

Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 2 Sky Classic Stakes goes this Sunday, August 19 from Woodbine Race Track in Toronto Ontario. Horses three years old and upward will race one and one quarter mile on Woodbine's turf track as they chase their share of the $250,000 purse.

The Sky Classic has drawn a field of eight for race 8 on Woodbine's Sunday card. Post time is 4:44 PM. Here is a look at the eight entries and their past performances ahead of this Grade 3 race.

2012 Sky Classic Stakes Race Favorites

Stormy Lord - is coming off a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming here on July 14 and had an impressive streak of three wins in four races last summer with a disappointing eleventh in the Play the Kings Stakes sandwiched in there. In 2012 Stormy Lord has struggled - a sixth in an Allowance race was followed by an eleventh in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup. He does have some good results - a win in the 2011 Connaught Cup, a win in the Ontario Jockey Club Stakes and wins at the PTHA President's Cup Stakes and the Labeeb Stakes toward the end of last year. He also has some unflattering results making Stormy Lord a little hard to trust in this race.

Smart Bid - followed up an impressive win at the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Handicap on February 25 with an unimpressive seventh in the Grade 2 Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial Handicap to start the year. Since that time Smart Bid has been up and down recording a win last time out in the minor East Hanover Stakes at Penn National to follow a fourth in the Colonial Turf Cup and a fifth in the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes at Pimlico. Smart Bid has been inconsistent but he did finish second in this race last year.

Sky Classic Stakes 2012 | Remaining Field Entries

Forte Dei Marmi - has 22 career starts with six wins. Last time out was a sixth in the Colonial Turf Cup Stakes at Colonial Downs on June 16 to follow a decent third in the Grade 3 Dixie Stakes at Pimlico in May. Forte Dei Marmi started 2012 with a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Gulfstream and followed it with a win in an Allowance before the Dixie. He is great at this distance (four wins) and could surprise Sunday.

Eye of the Leopard - beat Stormy Lord in an Allowance Optional Claiming last time out for the best result in a while - that race snapped an eight race losing streak dating back to 2010. Eye of the Leopard had a third in the Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes here in December but was unimpressive before the win in the last start.

Sky Classic Stakes betting at Woodbine with OffTrackBetting.com

Pender Harbour - won two-thirds of the Canadian Triple Crown last year and is coming off a decent third in the Grade 2 Nijinsky here on July 22 and a second in the Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes to Hunters Bay here on July 1. Those results followed a win at the Steady Growth Stakes here on June 17 which followed a rather disappointing ninth in the Grade 3 Eclipse - in his 2012 debut. He won last year's top honours as the country's champion three-year-old male for a reason however. Pender Harbour finished his 2011 campaign with three wins and a second in his last five races - the lone poor performance coming in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx in September. Pender Harbour has placed in his last three starts and is firmly on the Sky Classic radar.

Hotep - ended 2011 with consecutive sixth place finishes on this track - the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes and the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes but had a win here in an Allowance Optional Claiming on June 16 and followed that with a very good second in the Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes a month ago. Hotep is trending in the right direction ahead of the Sky Classic.

Scalo - will be making his North American debut this Sunday after six wins and two second place finishes in 11 starts overseas.

Miami Deco - ended 2011 with scattered results - a decent third in the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Turf Stakes was followed by a fifteenth place finish in the Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International Stakes here in October. Miami Deco has three starts this year - all Allowance races with a win, a second and a third place finish.

2012 Sky Classic Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 8 on Woodbine's Sunday card with a Post Time of 4:44 PM.