Desvio Delivers Special Sycamore Win for Connections

With a powerful late move to close out the $400,000 Sycamore Stakes (G2T), Desvio delivered a stunning victory in the 1 1/2-mile turf test while providing a milestone win for many of his connections Oct. 10 at Keeneland. Entered off a fast-closing second in the Colonial Cup Stakes Sept. 6 at Colonial Downs, Desvio bounced out of that win in top form to set up Friday's stirring victory—his first at the graded stakes level. While reaching a new class level for himself, the 4-year-old Yoshida gelding carried his connections to new heights as owners Stonelea Stables and Bonnie Rye Stable—the mother and son team of Cornelia "Nina" Bonnie and Robert Bonnie—landed their first-ever victory together at Keeneland. Trainer Madison Meyers made her first-ever start at Keeneland a winning one to secure her first graded stakes win. The Bonnies have campaigned horses for years, including some successful runners on the steeplechase side. The late Ned Bonnie, an equine attorney and fixture in Kentucky racing for decades—serving on the racing commission for many years—is the late husband of Nina and father of Robert. "It's our first win here at Keeneland and it's special," Robert Bonnie said, noting that he had just talked with his mother by phone after the victory. "Dad is looking down on us, and Mom was feeling a little ill, so she couldn't make it, but she's pretty happy. "She's delighted. I hadn't won a race here, and I'm not sure if she had." Trainer Meyers, now based in the Mid-Atlantic with stalls at Middleburg Training Center in Virginia and Laurel Park in Maryland, originally is from Lexington. "Honestly, since I was a little kid, all I wanted was to have a horse good enough to bring down here," Meyers said. "So it's pretty special." She waited for just the right runner and right time to make her Keeneland debut. "He's a horse that takes a really long time to get going. Obviously, the mile-and-a-half suits him, but those spots are really hard to find—they're few and far between," Meyers said. "I had a feeling that this course would suit him well, because there's a little bit of give in it. We had that substantial rainfall the other day and Colonial can be a little bit quick. "He's got all Kentucky connections, so we went ahead and just took a swing." Desvio rated in second-last early in the field of 10 while Utah Beach, in a bit of a surprise, led through a half-mile in :50.94 and mile in 1:39.51. Utah Beach, who hadn't raced closer than sixth early in his past seven starts, took his advantage into the stretch but couldn't hold off the late runners. Safe Trip Home briefly took the lead before Desvio edged past to a half-length victory, paying $70.90 to win. The result flipped the Colonial Cup outcome as Safe Trip Home won that test. The son of More Than Ready finished second Friday to earn his first graded stakes-placing while Utah Beach held third. Favored (9-5) Ohana Honor tracked from second for most of the race and faded to fourth. Robert Bonnie said his family has enjoyed having horses with Meyers and noted they have some promising young runners with her. "It's actually been fun to support Madison, who's a young, up-and-coming trainer," Robert Bonnie said. "She's a great horsewoman." All involved credited the horse's one connection with plenty of graded stakes success, John Velazquez, who landed his fourth graded stakes win of the fall meet. "You know what else helped us today? Johnny V," Robert Bonnie said of the Hall of Fame jockey who had previously been aboard Desvio in a start in last year's Hill Prince Stakes (G3T) at Aqueduct. Desvio most recently sold at auction for $70,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale, where he was purchased by Black Cloud Stable from the consignment of Brookdale Sales, agent. Bred in Kentucky by Eliza St. George and Lee Mauberret, Desvio is out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare Fitzrovia, who is a daughter of grade 1 winner Marylebone. Fitzrovia boasts four winners from as many starters.