John Battaglia Memorial S. hero Hush of a Storm (Creative Cause), scratched out of Saturday's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks with this weekend's $800,000 GII Toyota Blue Grass S. in mind, worked five furlongs in :59.80 following the second renovation break at Keeneland Monday morning.
With jockey Santiago Gonzalez in the irons, the New York-bred broke off about five lengths behind his unraced workmate Poseidon Wrath (Super Saver) and was eight lengths clear of his company at the wire. The work went in splits of :24.40 and :36.40, with a six-furlong gallop out in 1:12.60.
“I thought he worked well,” said trainer Bill Morey.
Well-beaten when a seven-furlong main-track maiden claimer on Churchill debut Nov. 19, Hush of a Storm has since put together three in a row over the Turfway Tapeta track, including a 1 1/2-length defeat of Like the King (Palace Malice), who franked the form when taking out the Jeff Ruby.
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