Castration might be considered a routine, fairly minor surgical procedure when it comes to the career of a Thoroughbred, even though no one ever asks the horse. In the case of Sorrento Sky, who spent the first 19 starts of his life fully endowed, being gelded probably made a major difference in his elevation to the ranks of stakes winners with his victory on the afternoon of Aug. 22 in the $201,500 Green Flash Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar.
With Umberto Rispoli aboard, Sorrento Sky came from the back of the field to catch the leaders late and pull off a 1-length win over fellow Irish-bred No Nay Hudson in :56.12 for the 5 furlongs on firm turf.
No Nay Hudson pressed the early pace of Virat and was still in hot pursuit deep into the stretch. Had he held on, No Nay Hudson could have given trainer Wesley Ward and jockey Juan Hernandez a remarkable global double in the turf sprint division after their victory with Bacio in the Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) at York Racecourse the day before.
But the day belonged to Sorrento Sky, who was coming out of a third-place finish in a deep allowance optional claiming race July 19 on the Del Mar grass.
"He was gelded before that last race, and I saw a big turnaround," trainer Phil D'Amato said. "Umberto had ridden him in the past and said he acted a lot more focused. He's a horse on the improve, and he has been knocking on the door in these sprint stakes for a while."
For nearly two years, in fact.
The 5-year-old by Prince of Lir was a close second in the Stormy Liberal Stakes in December 2024 at Del Mar. Since then, he has hit the board in four more stakes and collected minor checks in three others.
"I really believe gelding him took him over the top," D'Amato added.
Virat held on for third place ahead of favored Motorious, D'Amato's first string, who was gunning for his fourth straight Green Flash score.
The race was marred before the start when Man O Rose, third choice in the betting, broke through his stall doors and ran off with jockey Edwin Maldonado for nearly a quarter of a mile. Once back at the barrier, Man O Rose was inspected by the official vet and allowed to run. He trailed in last, all but eased.
"We defer to the veterinarian in such a case," steward Kim Sawyer said. "Although the trainer does have the option to take the horse out of the race."
As part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, the Green Flash provided an automatic, fees-paid berth for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) Oct. 31 at Keeneland or a credit for another race on the program, plus a travel award. Unfortunately, the offer is good only to horses eligible to the Breeders' Cup program, and Sorrento Sky would need to be supplemented at a cost of $200,000 to his owners: the Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, McLean Racing Stables, Saul Gevertz, Marc Lantzman, and Michael Nentwig.
"There's a lot of people involved and they're all game for something like that," D'Amato said. "So we'll wait and see."
The victory was the first graded stakes score for his sire Prince of Lir in 2026.
