Sky Mesa

By: Alan Porter

“A prolific and consistent source of stakes winners, Sky Mesa continues to be one of the most successful A.P. Indy line stallions at stud today.” 

Sky Mesa has demonstrated a strong affinity with mares by Unbridled and sons. His is sire of two stakes winners, including grade one winner Sky Diva out of mares by Unbridled, and grade one winner Sky Captain out of a mare by Unbridled’s Song, as well as a stakes winner out of a mare by Anees. Other sources of Unbridled to try here include Empire Maker (sire of Pioneerof the Nile and Bodemeister, whose dam reverses the cross that produced Sky Mesa), Grindstone and Birdstone. It would be possible to introduce Unbridled’s Song through such as Songandaprayer, Half Ours, Even the Score, Old Fashioned, Rockport Harbor (broodmare sire of a Sky Mesa stakes winner) and Dunkirk (giving inbreeding to A.P. Indy) and First Defence (who gives inbreeding to Seattle Slew). Sky Mesa’s multiple graded stakes winner Ami’s Mesa is out of a mare by Victory Gallop (by Cryptoclearance, the grandsire of Candy Ride), and there are also two Sky Mesa stakes winners out of a mare by Quiet American (grandsire of Midnight Lute), and one out of a mare by Rubiano (sire of Too Much Bling).

Sky Mesa has also flourished with mares descending from Mr. Prospector via Forty Niner. He has graded stakes winner Terrain out of a mare by Forty Niner himself, and graded stakes winner Dynamic Sky from a mare by Distorted Humor (sire of Any Given Saturday – who would give inbreeding to A.P. Indy – Sharp Humor, Flower Alley, Jimmy Creed and Maclean’s Music), as well as a stakes winner out of a mare by Banker’s Gold. Other sons of Forty Niner to consider include Coronado’s Quest, Tactical Advantage, End Sweep, Trippi, Gold, Twining, Gold Fever, Luhuk, Editor’s Note (giving inbreeding to Seattle Slew) and Jules. 

From the Carson City branch of Mr. Prospector, Sky Mesa has two stakes winners out of mares by that horse himself, including graded stakes winner Beethoven, as well as a stakes winner out of a mare by Boone’s Mill, and we might also bring this strain in through City Zip, Cuvee, Lord Carson, Good and Tough, Pollard’s Vision and Five Star Day. There are a wide range of other branches of Mr. Prospector that have enjoyed success under Sky Mesa. Grade two winners Llanarmon and Sky Treasure are out of mares by Smart Strike; graded scorer Wonderlandbynight is from a daughter of Gulch (sire of Thunder Gulch, and grandsire of Point Given, himself broodmare sire of Sky Mesa graded winner Belle Hill); from the Gone West branch we find graded scorer Sky Captain out of a daughter of Smarty Jones (by Elusive Quality, a son of Gone West), and a stakes winner out of a mare by El Corredor, who is by the Gone West son, Mr. Greeley, which also suggests trying mares by Speightstown, Grand Slam and Proud Citizen); a grade one winner by Seeking the Gold, and a stakes winner out of a mare by his son Mutakddim, with Seeking the Gold also available through Petionville, and Cape Town, who like Mutakddim, gives a double of Seattle Slew);  and stakes winners out of mares by Woodman and Distinctive Pro. 

In general, Sky Mesa has not shown a broad affinity for mares by sons or grandsons of Northern Dancer, but there are exceptions. He has graded stakes winners Theskyhasnolimit and Sky Girl out of mares by Deputy Minister, and a trio of stakes winners out of mares by that horse’s son, Silver Deputy (sire of Posse, Badge of Silver and Spring At Last). It could also be worth considering this line through Awesome Again (sire of Ghostzapper), Touch Gold and Dehere (broodmare sire of Sky Mesa multiple graded stakes winner Sky Promise).  Sky Mesa is sire of two-year-old graded scorer Ol’ Fashion Gal out of a mare by Horse Chestnut, from the Sadler’s Wells branch of Northern Dancer, and this suggests considering daughters of El Prado, Medaglia d’Oro, Kitten’s Joy and Artie Schiller. 

Sky Mesa is out of a mare by Storm Cat, but he has outperformed opportunity when crossed back over mares from that line with a graded winner out of a mare by Giant’s Causeway (sire of First Samurai) and stakes winners out of mares by Catienus, Forest Wildcat (sire of D’Wildcat and Wildcat Heir) and Tabasco Cat, and a stakes winner and grade one performer out of a mare by Tale of The Cat (whose dam is a sister to the dam of Pulpit, the sire of Sky Mesa, and who is also sire of Lion Heart). It could also be worth introducing Storm Cat through carefully chosen daughters of such as Hennessy (and his son, Johannesburg – also from the family of Pulpit – and grandson, Scat Daddy), Menifee (by Harlan, also sire of Harlan’s Holiday, himself sire of Into Mischief, Majesticperfection and ), Storm Boot, Bernstein and Forestry – all broodmare sires of A.P. Indy line stakes winners – as well as Stormy Atlantic and Stormin Fever, who would both give inbreeding to Seattle Slew. From another branch of the line of Northern Dancer’s sire, Nearctic, Pulpit and sons have done well over mares by Wild Again, who is also broodmare sire of a Sky Mesa stakes winner, and who could be brought in through Wild Rush, Offlee Wild, Vicar, Milwaukee Brew and Wild Event. 

Out mares from the Blushing Groom line, Sky Mesa has stakes winners out of daughters of Mt Livermore (sire of Orientate, Housebuster and Peaks and Valleys) and Cherokee Run (sire of Kafwain and Yonaguska), and as a son of Pulpit should also do well with mares by Rahy. Sky Mesa also has graded winners Skylighter and My Impression out of mares by Broad Brush (sire of Concern and Include), and two stakes winners, including graded scorer Storm Mesa, out of mares by Pleasant Colony (sire of Pleasant Tap and Pleasantly Perfect), and two stakes winners out of mares by Macho Uno (by Holy Bull).