Got Stormy Kicks Off 2020 in Endeavour Stakes

The $175,000 Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes (G3T) is a grade 3 contest in the eyes of the American Graded Stakes Committee, but trainer Mark Casse has done his part to give it a grade 1 feel.

In 2016, he used the Endeavour as a launching pad for reigning Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) winner Tepin's second consecutive Eclipse Award-winning season, and in the upcoming Feb. 8 edition of the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, he is sending out Eclipse Award turf female finalist Got Stormy for her 2020 debut.

"Tampa has been good to us with World Approval (the 2017 champion turf male) and Tepin. I like it. It has a great turf course, it's close to home, and a great place to get started," Casse said.

The Endeavour will be Got Stormy's first start for owner Gary Barber since Dec. 1, when she won the Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar by three-quarters of a length, her second grade 1 win in an 18-race career. After winning the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) over males in August, she emerged as one of the sport's top milers through a pair of runner-up finishes to fellow female Uni in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) and El Tormenta in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T).

Since the Matriarch, the 5-year-old Get Stormy  mare has put in four works at Casse's Florida training center, and he believes she's heading into the Endeavour in sharp form.

"She's ready for her 'A' game. She doesn't like a whole lot of time off," Casse said. "What she did mentally from 3 to 4 was huge, and she continues to get better. A lot of her success comes from the ability to handle different races and places, and I don't see that changing. She's older, she's wiser, and hopefully better."

Bred in Kentucky by Mt. Joy Stables, Pope McLean, Marc McLean, and Pope McLean Jr. out of the Malabar Gold mare Super Phoebe, Got Stormy sold for $45,000 to Alan Quartucci from the Niall Brennan Stables consignment at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. The winner of eight of 18 starts with earnings of $1,430,578 was previously bought by Equine Invest for $23,000 from the Pope McLean consignment at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The presence of Got Stormy, who will break from post 7 with Tyler Gaffalione, increased the ante for connections considering the Endeavour, but the stakes still managed to attract a field of eight.

Among them, Don Alberto Stable's Andina Del Sur enters off a string of solid performance in stakes company. In her most recent try, the 5-year-old Giant's Causeway homebred mare grabbed a short lead in midstretch of the Marshua's River Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park but settled for third, a length behind the winner.

One start before that, she captured the Forever Together Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. The owner of a 4-2-6 record in 20 starts will now face one of her most formidable opponents in Got Stormy.

"I think this is the best spot for her. You can't duck one horse," trainer Tom Albertrani said. "We could have run her in the Suwannee River (G3T) at Gulfstream (Saturday), but it's a little far for her (at 1 1/8 miles). She's won at Tampa before, and we're confident. I think she'll run well. We're looking forward to this weekend. She gives you 100% all the time, and hopefully we'll get a good trip."

Swift Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables, and Doheny Racing Stable's Altea heads to Tampa for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown after the grade 3-placed daughter of Siyouni finished sixth in the Dec. 14 My Charmer Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Lael Stables' Jehozacat comes off a frontrunning 5 1/2-length win in the Jan. 18 Wayward Lass Stakes at Tampa on dirt. The Tapit  mare returns to turf for the first time for trainer Arnaud Delacour since finishing fifth in an Oct. 19 turf allowance at Keeneland.

Surfside Stables' Phantom Opening exits a solid 2 1/4-length win in a Jan. 10 allowance optional claimer, her second win in three tries on the Tampa turf course.

Entries: Lambholm South Endeavour S. (G3T)

Tampa Bay Downs, Saturday, February 08, 2020, Race 8

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $175,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 3:59 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1A. A. Azula's Arch (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	117	Mark E. Casse	12/1
2	2Altea (FR)	Joel Rosario	117	Chad C. Brown	10/1
3	3Jehozacat (KY)	Daniel Centeno	117	Arnaud Delacour	10/1
4	4Andina Del Sur (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	119	Thomas Albertrani	7/2
5	5Dynatail (KY)	John R. Velazquez	119	Michael Dini	12/1
6	6Kelsey's Cross (FL)	Luca Panici	117	Patrick L. Biancone	20/1
7	7Got Stormy (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	123	Mark E. Casse	4/5
8	8Phantom Opening (KY)	Antonio A. Gallardo	117	Jordan Blair	8/1