After winning two Grade Is last year, Got Stormy had a hard time finding the wire first this season, but finally returned to the winner's circle Saturday at Kentucky Downs. Rushing up to contest the pace in the initial strides, the heavy favorite was shuffled back to fifth through a :22.54 opening quarter and :46.27 half-mile. Searching for running room turning for home, the chestnut swung out four wide in the lane and charged clear in the final sixteenth for an authoritative victory.
“We always felt that way [that she'd sprint], but there's never been an opportunity,” winning trainer Mark Casse said. “For $500,000, we figured this would be a good time to do it. I've always said she'd handle soft going; it just limits how far she can run. So for her to get a mile, she needs it extremely, extremely hard. And she hasn't gotten that once this year. So the bit of the give in the ground was a little worrisome, but it kind of played to her favor.”
As for what's next, Casse said, “I'll talk to Gary [Barber], but we'll probably come back and run her 5 1/2 [furlongs] in the [GI] Breeders' Cup [Turf Sprint at Keeneland]. I think she'll like that. [Tyler Gaffalione] said he could have been on the lead, no problem.”
Got Stormy captured the GI Fourstardave H. last term and was a close second in the GI Woodbine Mile next out in September before filling the same spot behind subsequent champion Uni (GB) (More Than Ready) in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile in November. Returning to winning ways when sent west for the GI Matriarch S. Dec. 1, she was fourth in the GIII Endeavour S. at Tampa Feb. 8 and missed by a neck next out in Santa Anita's GI Frank E. Kilroe S. Mar. 7. The 5-year-old was fourth in both the June 3 GIII Beaugay S. at Belmont and filled the same spot against the boys in that venue's GIII Poker S. July 4. Got Stormy entered this test off a second to Halladay (War Front) in this term's Fourstardave Aug. 22.
Pedigree Notes:
The winner's dam Super Phoebe is a half-sister to MGSW & MGISP Smooth Air (Smooth Jazz) and GSW Overdriven (Tale of the Cat). The 16-year-old mare is also responsible for the unraced juvenile colt Got Curly (Super Saver); a yearling colt by Mohaymen; and a 2020 colt by Bolt d'Oro. She was bred back to Uncle Mo.
Saturday, Kentucky Downs
KENTUCKY DOWNS LADIES SPRINT S.-GIII, $498,000, Kentucky Downs, 9-12, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2fT, 1:15.41, sf.
1–GOT STORMY, 121, m, 5, by Get Stormy
1st Dam: Super Phoebe, by Malabar Gold
2nd Dam: Air France, by French Deputy
3rd Dam: Twin Propeller, by Known Fact
($23,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP; $45,000 2yo '17 EASMAY). O-Gary
Barber; B-Mt Joy Stables, Pope McLean, Marc McLean & Pope
McLean Jr (KY); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $288,300.
Lifetime Record: MGISW, 24-9-5-3, $1,901,378. *1/2 to Sky
Gold (Successful Appeal), SP, $151,020. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Winning Envelope, 121, f, 4, More Than Ready–Granby Girl,
by Badge of Silver. ($3,000 2yo '18 KEEJAN). O-Lothenbach
Stables Inc. (Bob Lothenbach); B-Ramspring Farm (KY); T-Chris
M Block. $93,000.
3–Into Mystic, 123, f, 4, Into Mischief–Loveofalifetime, by
Medaglia d'Oro. ($650,000 2yo '18 OBSAPR). O-George Chris
Coleman & Brad King; B-Runnymede Farm Inc & Catesby W
Clay Investment 2 LLC (KY); T-Brendan P Walsh. $46,500.
Margins: 3 1/4, HF, 3/4. Odds: 1.90, 14.20, 6.10.
Also Ran: Lady Lawyer, Surrender Now, Quebec, Change of Control, Dixieincandyland, Mentality, Bohemian Bourbon, Cariba, I'llhandalthecash. Scratched: Intuicao (Brz), Jakarta, Kimari. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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