Stormofthecentury halts Ben’s Cat dominance of Turf Monster

Stormofthecentury was an upset winner of the Turf Monster in his stakes debut (Bill Denver/Equi-Photo) Stormofthecentury, a stakes rookie entering the Grade 3, $350,000 Turf Monster Handicap, upset 17-time stakes winner Ben’s Cat and a host of other good ones in Monday’s renewal of the five-furlong turf dash at Parx Racing. Settled in behind pacesetter Tightend Touchdown while saving ground along the inside, Stormofthecentury was called on for run by jockey Stewart Elliott entering the stretch, wore down the long-time leader inside the sixteenth pole with an outside bid, and was comfortably clear by three-quarters of a length at the finish. The final time over yielding ground was :57 2/5, with Stormofthecentury returning $59.40 as the a 28-1 outsider.

Tightend Touchdown, who set fractions of :22 and :45, held off 2-1 favorite
Ben’s Cat by a head for the place. The latter, who was seeking his third
consecutive win in the Turf Monster, was 3 3/4 lengths clear of fourth-place
finisher A P Elvis. The order of finish was rounded out by El Seventyseven,
Strong Impact, Northern Hammer, Chamberlain Bridge, Console, Varsity, and Wicked
Tune. The lone scratch was This Ain’t No Bull.

Stormofthecentury, a five-year-old gelding who races for Beechwood Racing
Stable and is trained by Louis Ruberto Jr., registered his first four career
wins over the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle Downs, the most recent being a
first-level allowance on June 10. He had made his turf debut the previous month
at Churchill Downs, finishing a close second at the same level, and preceded
this victory with a 4 1/2-length, second-level allowance score on the Parx grass
July 30. His record now stands at 16-6-3-0, $349,499.

Bred in Florida by the University of Florida Foundation, Stormofthecentury
was sired by Dark Kestrel and produced by the winning Blue Buckaroo mare As of
Now.

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