Fly by Phil, a 3-year-old by Act of Duty, kicked off the New Year in style with a graded stakes victory in the $100,000 Tropical Park Derby (G3) Jan. 1 at Calder Race Course.

Making his stakes debut – and first start on grass, Fly by Phil showed an affinity for the turf by digging in determinedly in the stretch of the 1 1/8-mile race for newly-turned 3-year-olds. His head hit the wire first, stopping the clock in 1:52.89 over a yielding course.

Trained by Kathleen O’Connell, Fly by Phil earned a lifetime-high Beyer Speed Figure of 88, making him a serious player in the stakes picture for 3-year-olds this season in south Florida. He improved his stellar record to three wins and a pair of seconds from five starts, moving his earnings to $101,100 for owner and breeder Gilbert G. Campbell. Prior to his graded stakes triumph Friday, Fly by Phil broke his maiden and won an allowance race on dirt at Calder, and he now has won three straight.