Stormy gets things all his own way in Maker’s Mark

Get Stormy capitalized on an ideal front-running set-up (Matt Wooley/EquiSport Photos) While Sullimar Stables’ homebred GET STORMY (Stormy Atlantic) would have appealed to hunch players on a rainy Friday at Keeneland, the multiple Grade 2 hero had more tangible credentials to recommend him in the $300,000 Maker’s Mark Mile (G1). Always dangerous when allowed an uncontested lead, the Tom Bush trainee exploited just such a scenario to register his first career Grade 1 tally. Get Stormy stopped the teletimer in 1:37 1/5 on the “good” turf and paid $10.20, $5 and $3.40 as the 4-1 third choice. “He’s been a real wonderful horse to have in the barn,” Bush said. “We thought he could win a Grade 1, and we’re real thrilled to get it done today.” On paper, Get Stormy figured to have early company in the form of Workin for Hops (City Zip). But when Get Stormy hustled from the gate for Javier Castellano, and Workin for Hops ultimately elected to stalk rather than duel, the race shape tilted decidedly in Get Stormy’s favor.

After carving out fractions of :24 3/5 and :49 1/5, Get Stormy was accosted
by Workin for Hops through six furlongs in 1:14. The challenge was short-lived,
for Get Stormy opened up and continued to gallop with great gusto into the
stretch. As Workin for Hops kept on doggedly in second, 7-5 favorite Court
Vision (Gulch) was attempting to rally along the inside, and Society’s Chairman
(Not Impossible [Ire]) made eye-catching headway on the outside.

None of them, however, posed any threat to the decisive winner, who enjoyed a
2 3/4-length advantage at the wire. A three-way finish ensued for the minor
awards, with Workin for Hops salvaging runner-up honors by a neck from Society’s
Chairman, and Court Vision another head away in fourth. Bim Bam (Deputy Wild
Cat), Furthest Land (Smart Strike), Zifzaf (War Chant) and Turallure (Wando)
completed the order under the wire.

Get Stormy’s connections loved how the Maker’s Mark unfolded.

“I was (pleased to see the slow fractions,” Bush said. “I knew the turf was
pretty soft, and I wasn’t sure exactly how to read them. But the horse had a
beautiful bouncy stride going down the backside and I felt real good about that.
Javier, he rides him like a dream. It was great.”

“He broke great out of the gate,” Castellano recapped. “I just went to the
lead and enjoyed my trip. We had a lot of fun. I had a lot of horse at the top
of the stretch. I don’t want to squeeze the lemon. I just asked my horse. He
responded very well and he took off.”

Trainer Mike Stidham explained the tactics adopted by Rosie Napravnik aboard
Workin for Hops.

“He doesn’t have to be on the lead,” Stidham said. “If you look back, he
wasn’t on the lead going 7 1/2 furlongs. In a lot of his races, we were on the
lead because nobody else wanted it and that’s just how it set up.

“I thought Get Stormy would be in front of us today, and I told Rosie that if
he (Get Stormy) wants the lead to just let him have it. Going head to head with
him wouldn’t have been good for either of us.”

Get Stormy showed his pursuers a clean pair of heels (Melissa Wirth/Horsephotos.com) Robby Albarado, the rider of Court Vision, cited the lack of pace as a detriment to his mount’s chances. “I don’t want to make excuses, but with these (top-class horses), when they go :24, :49, they’re going to sprint home,” Albarado said. “They all quickened. Every horse quickened in the race. I just couldn’t get to them. I needed some pace up front; just a little more pace would have helped.” Court Vision, previously trained by Rick Dutrow, raced in the name of trainer Justin Sallusto. Like his stablemate Amen Hallelujah (Montbrook), who just missed in Thursday’s Madison S. (G1), Court Vision’s trainer switch occurred Thursday, amid the legal wrangling surrounding Dutrow’s denial of a license by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Get Stormy, who has raced exclusively on turf, sports a mark of 21-9-2-2, $795,961. Seven of those victories have come in stakes — the 2009 Bryan Station S. (G3) at Keeneland, Commonwealth Turf S. (G3) at Churchill Downs and Lure S. at Saratoga; the 2010 Bernard Baruch H. (G2) and Fourstardave H. (G2) at Saratoga and the Elkwood S. at Monmouth; and now the Maker’s Mark.

The blaze-faced bay was visiting the winner’s circle for the first time since
the August 27 Bernard Baruch. In the interim, he was fourth after trying to rate
in the October 9 Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) over this course and distance; a subpar
last of 11 in the November 6 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1); eighth in his reappearance
in the January 9 Ft. Lauderdale (G3); and an encouraging third in the February 5
Gulfstream Park Turf (G1) last out.

The Kentucky-bred Get Stormy is out of the Kiri’s Clown mare Foolish Gal,
whose youngest progeny are a juvenile filly named Glory Gal (Honour and Glory)
and a newborn colt by Stormy Atlantic, a full brother to the winner. With his
fourth dam being multiple stakes heroine Amerigo’s Fancy (*Amerigo), Get Stormy
hails from the family of Grade 2 winners Tres Borrachos (Ecton Park), Informed (Tiznow),
Triple Tipple (Raise a Cup) and Summer Wind Dancer (Siberian Summer).