Making her first start of 2012, Turbulent Descent remained undefeated at
Hollywood Park with a victory in the $72,570
Desert Stormer Handicap on Sunday.
Idle since a lackluster performance in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes on New
Year’s Eve at Santa Anita, the four-year-old daughter of Congrats took charge
late for her fourth win over the Cushion Track.
Turbulent Descent raced in the clear after breaking from the outside several
lengths off the quick early pace set by Izzy Rules, cruised up under jockey
David Flores to get within range of the leader at the quarter-pole and received
a bit of left handed encouragement while overtaking Izzy Rules with about a
sixteenth of a mile to run.
Turbulent Descent completed six furlongs in 1:09 1/5 as the 3-2 favorite,
paying $5, $3.40 and $2.60 for her 1 1/4-length score.
Owned by a partnership that includes Blinkers On Racing Stable, Robert Butler
and William Strauss and trained by Mike Puype, Turbulent Descent improved her
career mark to 11-7-2-0, $901,640.
“You want to see her come back to form because she’s a brilliant filly,”
Puype said. “Her campaign (in 2011) took its toll with four travel trips. She’s
very partial to synthetic tracks and I’m just happy to have her back in form.”
Flores also referred to Turbulent Descent’s affinity for synthetic surfaces.
In addition to her four wins over the Cushion Track, which includes the Grade 1
Hollywood Starlet in 2010, the four-year-old lass captured the Grade 2 Beaumont
by five lengths last April on Keeneland’s Polytrack.
“The outside post worked out very well for her,” Flores added. “She showed
what she’s made of today. I’m so confident in her.
“The main thing with her is the track. I can’t say thanks enough to (Puype)
and the owners.”
The two other Grade 1 winners in the Desert Stormer failed to fire. Switch,
who captured the 2010 La Brea and 2011 Santa Monica, was fourth, a nose behind
Mildly Offensive, while Teddy’s Promise, the 2011 La Brea upsetter, was fifth,
defeating only Grade 2 winner Great Hot.
The off-the-board finish was the first for Switch in six attempts over
Cushion Track. Teddy’s Promise had won four of her previous six over the
surface.
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