Bordonaro, Hot Storm prevail in Sunshine Millions sprints

Bordonaro earned his biggest win to date in the Sunshine Millions (Eleanor Gustafson/Horsephotos.com) Fred Carrillo and Daniel Cassella’s BORDONARO (Memo [Chi]) was able to hold off the gaining Tacirring (End Sweep) to prevail in Saturday’s $300,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint at Gulfstream Park. Settled just off the pace set by Areyoutalkintome (Smokester) and Thor’s Echo (Swiss Yodeler), the chestnut gelding passed the latter to take the lead leaving the turn and held off Tacirring by three parts of a length for the victory. With jockey Patrick Valenzuela, Bordonaro completed the six-furlong affair in 1:08 2/5 over the fast track for conditioner Bill Spawr. “He has been so upset since we got here. I’m so surprised that he ran this well,” Spawr said. “To have him run this well is a very nice surprise. We will probably give him about six to eight weeks before looking around for another race. Anything is possible.” The five-year-old returned $5, $3.60 and $3.60 as the 3-2 favorite with Tacirring giving back $12.60 and $8.80 for second at 19-1 and Bushwacker (Outflanker) returning $13.40 for the show at 37-1. The $1 exotics paid $43 (exacta), $907 (trifecta) and $8,753.50 for the 6-8-11-2 superfecta. Thor’s Echo, Nightmare Affair (Out of Place), Mister Fotis (Diligence), Valid Video (Valid Wager), Santana Strings (Wheaton), Areyoutalkintome, Red Warrior (Benchmark), Halos Sailing Sain (Halo’s Image), All Hail Stormy (Stormy Atlantic) and Smokume (Smoke Glacken) rounded out the order of finish. The California homebred is out of the winning mare Miss Excitement (Rajab) and is a full brother to an unnamed two-year-old colt and a half-brother to an unnamed yearling filly by Mud Route.

This was Bordonaro’s seventh victory in nine starts. He now shows earnings of
$372,164 with previous stakes wins coming in the Vernon O. Underwood S. (G3) and
California Cup Starter Sprint H.

Robert Adams’ HOT STORM (Stormy Atlantic) was able to take advantage of a
fast-playing track at Santa Anita, leading throughout the $300,000
Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Sprint en route to a 1 3/4-length victory, her
fifth win in a row. Sent to the
early lead by jockey David Flores, the four-year-old filly dueled inside and held off all comers to complete the
six-furlong event in 1:09 2/5 over a fast track.

“She broke well, and I was expecting a lot more speed from the outside,” said
Flores, “but when my filly took the lead, she started looking around and nobody
else was sending, so I was very comfortable. I was very pleased. She’s a very
nice filly.”

The Dallas Stewart-conditioned filly paid $8, $3 and $2.60 for the win at 3-1
while 3-5 favorite Western Hemisphere (General Meeting) gave back $2.40 and
$2.20. Thrilling Victory (Event of the Year) paid $3 for the show at 9-1. The $1
exotics rewarded $8.20 (exacta), $29.80 (trifecta) and $210.80 for the 2-12-8-11
superfecta. Da Svedonya (Lil Tyler), Run Rebecca Run (Swiss Yodeler), Double D
Appeal (Successful Appeal), Etch (Pioneering), Aclevershadeofjade (Clever Trick)
and Royally Chosen (In Excess [Ire]) completed the order of finish.

Abounding Truth (Proudest Romeo), Alphabet Kisses (Alphabet Soup),
Allswellthatnswell (Perfect Mandate) and Leave Me Alone (Bold Badgett) were
scratched from the race. The last three are all entered in Sunday’s Santa Monica
H. (G1).

Hot Storm was bred in Florida by Adams and Charles Rognon. Out of the
stakes-placed mare Forgotten Secret (Secret Slew), Hot Storm is inbred 3 X 3 to
1977 Triple Crown hero and renowned sire Seattle Slew. She counts a two-year-old filly
named Unforgotten (Northern Afleet) and a yearling colt by Forbidden Apple as
half-siblings.

This was Hot Storm’s fifth career stakes win and her second on Sunshine Millions
Day, having captured the Sunshine Millions Oaks at Santa Anita last year. She’s
now annexed three consecutive stakes this winter, following scores in the
Wishing Well S. and Holiday Inaugural S., both at Turfway Park. This victory improves her line to 18-8-1-4 with earnings of
$559,505.