Stormy Liberal Upsets Turf Sprint in 1-2 Finish for Miller; Lady Aurelia 10th

Stormy Liberal | Benoit

Saturday, Del Mar
BREEDERS' CUP TURF SPRINT-GI, $920,000, DMR, 11-4, 3yo/up, 5fT, :56.12, fm.
1–STORMY LIBERAL, 126, g, 5, by Stormy Atlantic
1st Dam: Vassar, by Royal Academy
2nd Dam: Dixie Fine, by L'Emigrant
3rd Dam: Luv Luvin', by Raise a Native
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($165,000 RNA Ylg '13 FTSAUG; $100,000
2yo '14 OBSOPN). O-Rockingham Ranch; B-Dapple Bloodstock & Gryphon Investments LLC (KY); T-Peter Miller; J-Joel Rosario. $550,000. Lifetime Record: 22-8-6-1, $983,570. *Full to Coast 1/2 to Garifine (Belong to Me), SP, $177,811; Coast Guard, GISP, $182,180; Shimmering Moment (Afleet Alex), SW-Ire, MGSP-US, $164,545. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Richard's Boy, 126, g, 5, Idiot Proof–Marissa's Joy, by Cee's Tizzy. O-Rockingham Ranch; B-Harold Tillema & Pamela Tillema (CA); T-Peter Miller. $170,000.
3–Disco Partner, 126, h, 5, Disco Rico–Lulu's Number, by Numerous. O-Patricia A. Generazio; B-Patricia Generazio (NY); T-Christophe Clement. $90,000.
Margins: HD, HF, HF. Odds: 30.20, 13.90, 5.10.
Also Ran: Bucchero, Pure Sensation, Marsha (Ire), Holding Gold, Washington DC (Ire), Cotai Glory (GB), Lady Aurelia, Hogy, Mongolian Saturday. Scratched: Paquita Coqueta (Chi), Guns Loaded.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Double-digit longshot Stormy Liberal (Stormy Atlantic) led home a one-two finish for trainer Peter Miller and owner Rockingham Ranch in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, besting stablemate Richard's Boy (Idiot Proof) by a head with heavily favored Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) no where to be found in 10th. Dismissed at 30-1 here, Stormy Liberal saved ground in sixth, to the inside of Lady Aurelia, as New York raider Pure Sensation (Zensational) cruised through an opening quarter in :21.98. Tipped out a path to launch his bid at the top of the lane, Stormy Liberal surged away from the chalk–who remained one-paced and was quickly swallowed up by the field–and charged up to greet Richard's Boy in the final strides, eeking out a narrow victory. It was the first Breeders' Cup win for Miller and the seventh for rider Joel Rosario, who won the Turf Sprint in 2014 with Bobby's Kitten (Kitten's Joy). This is also the first Breeders' Cup victory for Gary Hartunian's Rockingham Ranch.

“it was just a surreal experience to see Richard's Boy look like he was going to win,” Miller said. “And I've watching Joel, and I'm rooting for Joel, and I'm like just one of you win, just one of you win. Somebody win, you know? And to run one-two here for my first Breeders' Cup and here at home, I live ten minutes away in Encinitas, is special. And to win with Joel Rosario, who I consider a good friend and who rode a lot for me when he was out here, just one of the best riders in the world. And for Gary Hartunian and Rockingham Ranch, who is my largest owner.”

“I just break out of the gate, and I asked my horse a little bit,” Rosario said. “Peter told me don't, just get your position, and he has a lot of speed, but he wanted me to just like follow and save some ground and just stay on the inside. And that worked out perfect.”

“This is the first time I didn't give instructions to the jockey, so,” Hartunian said. “I was running down saying, 'I want to talk to you, Joel', and he jumped on the horse, so I was so upset. Then I said, you know, I'm going to go bet Richard's Boy now, and that's what I did.”

As for the beaten favorite Lady Aurelia, jockey John Velazquez said, “I had a perfect trip. There were a couple speed horses so I let them go. I got into a spot I wanted at the 3/8-pole and she was just flat down the lane.”

Claimed for $40,000 out of a winning effort last October, Stormy Liberal won his first four starts this term, all of which were stakes, including the GIII Daytona S. at Santa Anita May 27. The bay was last seen fading to eighth in Belmont's GIII Jaipur S. June 10, a race in which Disco Partner (Disco Rico) set a world record.

Pedigree Notes:

Stormy Liberal is a full to GISP Coast Guard; and a half to SW & MGSP Shimmering Moment (Afleet Alex). His dam is responsible for a juvenile colt by Majestic Warrior. Her 2016 foal by Distorted Humor passed away and she did not produce a foal in 2017, but was bred back to that WinStar stalwart this year. The winner also traces his lineage back to GISWs Insight (Fr) (Sadler's Wells); and Beethoven (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}).

 

Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.

Copy Article Link

X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.