After splitting a pair of meetings last year, Got Stormy and Uni will have a rubber match in Saturday’s $400,000 Fourstardave H. (G1) at Saratoga. The classy mares highlight a field of nine entered for the mile turf affair.
The Fourstardave is a “Win & You’re In” for the November 7 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Keeneland.
Got Stormy will make a title defense after posting a 2 1/2-length decision last year. Runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), the Mark Casse-trained chestnut concluded 2019 with a victory in the Matriarch (G1) at Del Mar, but Got Stormy will need to turn things around after losing her first four starts this season, finishing fourth most recently in the July 4 Poker (G3) at Belmont Park. Tyler Gaffalione rides the 5-year-old daughter of Get Stormy.
Uni moved forward for Chad Brown after a third in the Fourstardave, recording convincing wins in the First Lady (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Mile, and was named champion turf female. The late-running chestnut is eligible to improve upon an even third in her comeback, the June 27 Just a Game (G1) at Belmont, and Jose Ortiz picks up the mount on the 6-year-old daughter of More Than Ready.
Brown has four runners entered including multiple Grade 1 scorer Raging Bull, who heads the male contingent. A belated second in last year’s Fourstardave, the Irish-bred son of Dark Angel retains the services of Joel Rosario, who had been the regular rider of Uni. Raging Bull has run well in both 2020 appearances, winning the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita and finishing a neck third in the July 10 Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) at Keeneland last out. He’s also a two-time stakes winner on Saratoga’s turf, taking the 2018 editions of the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (G2) and Saranac (G3).
Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Group 1 winner Without Parole for Brown. A tough-luck third in the Shoemaker Mile two back, the 5-year-old missed by less than a length in fourth when closing boldly in the latter stages of the Maker’s Mark Mile. Valid Point completes the Brown quartet. The 4-year-old opened his racing career with three consecutive wins, including the Secretariat (G1) at Arlington, but he’ll need to need to improve after opening this season with a last in the Poker. Javier Castellano has the call.
Multiple stakes victor Halladay, a close fourth in the July 26 Bernard Baruch (G2) at Saratoga, could show speed from the outside with Luis Saez. Completing the cast are 2019 Hall of Fame winner Casa Creed; Grade 2-placed Emmaus; and Chewing Gum, who stretches back out after a closing fourth in the August 8 Troy (G3) at 5 1/2 furlongs.
