Got Stormy Follows Proven Pattern to Breeders' Cup Mile

Wager against Gary Barber's Got Stormy in the Nov. 2 TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at your own risk. Mark Casse, the trainer of the 4-year-old filly who has already defeated males in grade 1 company this year, has a track record in the Mile that is difficult to ignore.

Casse, part of a multi-generational horsemen's family that began in Florida with his father, Norman, and continues with his trainer son of the same name, won the Mile in 2015 with champion Tepin and in 2017 with champion World Approval. It is now 2019. See a pattern here?

"She's as good right now as I've ever seen her," said Casse as he eyeballed his star walking outside Barn 59 just outside the gap of the racetrack at Santa Anita Park three days before the race. "I find it amazing she's been under the radar. What she's already accomplished in her career, very few will do. She holds the track record at Saratoga from when she beat boys in the Fourstardave (G1T), and she's the first filly to win that race."

Got Stormy (Get Stormy —Super Phoebe, by Malabar Gold), bred by the McLean family of Crestwood Farm in Kentucky along with Mt. Joy Stables, was a bargain $45,000 purchase out of the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. In the middle of last season, she earned consecutive victories in the Penn Oaks, Wild Applause Stakes, and Ontario Colleen Stakes (G3T). 

A year ago, she ran on soft turf in the Pebbles Stakes at Belmont Park and was eased. Casse then decided to run her in the off-the-turf Winter Memories Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, in which she weakened late after grabbing the lead to finish fifth. He made the decision to put her away for an almost four-month break after the race.

"I told Gary Barber I thought we should follow the plan we had with World Approval and Tepin and give her a break, and we did, to see if she would grow up. That was the plan," Casse said.

The template was well worth following. World Approval wrapped up his career with earnings in excess of $3 million. He won the Fourstardave Handicap and Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T) before taking the Breeders' Cup Mile. The fantastic Tepin banked more than $4.4 million, was named champion grass mare in 2015 and 2016, and won the Woodbine Mile in 2016 before running second to Tourist  in a huge effort while trying to defend her title in the Breeders' Cup Mile. 

"Got Stormy matured a lot from 3 to 4. We ran her in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park, just like we did with Tepin after she ran a poor race at Del Mar at the end of her 3-year-old season. I sent a copy of Tepin's past performances to Gary to show him Got Stormy ran almost identical to Tepin to begin her 4-year-old season," Casse said.

"She has gotten so much better in the paddock, and she's able to settle better in her races. We're always trying to get our horses to relax more, which is what made Tepin so good. The common denominator with World Approval, Tepin, and Got Stormy is their ability to get into the race and then shut off before kicking it in."

After placing this season in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T), Got Stormy was campaigned through four starts in partnership by Barber and Southern Equine Stable. She turned in a runner-up effort in the Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2T), then ran off to a four-length victory in the Fasig-Tipton De La Rose Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. She did it so easily, Casse decided he could run her back a week later in the Fourstardave, an old-school move if ever there was one. 

"I wasn't worried about facing the boys in the Fourstardave," Casse said. "I was more concerned about running her on a week's rest. She won the De La Rose in such easy fashion, but it was hot that day and that was my only worry. Gary said, 'She won it easy, so let's run her back.' Anyone who knows Gary knows he's as game as Dick Tracy. 

"In my heart, I know there are so many things that can go wrong, but I knew they wouldn't beat her in the Fourstardave. I didn't think she'd win it with the ease she won it with, but, yeah, I can remember (jockey) Ricardo Santana coming back and shaking his head like, 'Whoa.'

"After she won the Fourstardave, she looked at me the next day like, 'What else have you got for me? This has been too easy.'"

After that 2 1/2-length score in 1:32 flat, Casse sent Got Stormy to the Woodbine Mile. He didn't want to wait for the First Lady Stakes Presented by UK HealthCare (G1T) at Keeneland because he feared rain in Lexington, and Got Stormy prefers to hear her feet rattle when she runs. But they got rain anyway. Got Stormy grabbed the lead going into the final turn, and the long Woodbine stretch—three-eighths of a mile—got her late. She ran second to El Tormenta by a half-length.

"I lost no faith in her after that race," Casse said. "This racetrack here at Santa Anita is her bread-and-butter—hard turf and sharp turns. She's my best shot to win this weekend."

Buck the pattern at your own risk.