Got Stormy Again Challenges Males in Poker Stakes

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse has no qualms running his champion Got Stormy against the boys, and the 5-year old mare will face eight males, 4 and older, July 4 in the $150,000 Poker Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park.

Gary Barber's Got Stormy earned champion grass mare honors last year when she won four times and placed four times. She set the track record in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) against males at Saratoga Race Course, getting the mile test in 1:32. She then finished second against males in both the Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T) won by El Tormenta and the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) won by Uni. She ended her season with a score in the Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar.

This year, she has yet to find the winner's circle in three starts. In her most recent effort, Got Stormy finished fourth in the Beaugay Stakes (G3T) after a bobbled start, but the field was arguably tougher than that of the Poker, with 2018 champion grass mare Rushing Fall winning by two lengths.

Before that, she finished a neck behind the now retired River Boyne in the March 7 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita Park.

"The California race was very good," Casse said. "Her last race was disappointing, but we took her out of her element. There was no speed in the race, and we tried to keep her closer (to the pace), and that was to her demise. We won't do that again. We'll let her settle."

Got Stormy was entered in the June 27 Just a Game Stakes (G1T), but after persistent rainstorms soaked the Belmont green, Casse made the call to scratch after watching Monkeyseemonkeydo win a seven-furlong turf maiden in 1:24.15.

"After watching them run seven-eighths in :24 and change, I said this turf is not for us," Casse said. "She didn't get really good until last summer, and her best races are on hard ground. I think the soft turf got her beat in the Woodbine Mile, and she was just beat by a better horse at the Breeders' Cup.

"We're just trying to find her top form, and I believe it has to do with a harder turf course. She won't get it this weekend at Belmont, but she also likes the sharper turns at Saratoga and Santa Anita because she has a quick turn of foot when you ask her to go."

Got Stormy will pair with John Velazquez from post 7 in the one-mile Poker.

Got Stormy's toughest competition figures to come from the Todd Pletcher-trained Social Paranoia, who has been successful at this level and distance, winning the Appleton Stakes (G3T) in his season debut with a rallying move from last. He also finished second to Henley's Joy in last year's Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) going 1 1/4 miles on firm turf.

The 4-year-old Street Boss  colt was sixth in his most recent start in the June 6 Fort Marcy Stakes (G2T) and cuts back a furlong in the Poker. He will partner with Jose Ortiz from post 5.

Trainer Chad Brown is always a threat, and he brings two 4-year-olds who look to be up and coming—Valid Point in post 2 and Value Proposition on the outside.

Valid Point is already a grade 1 winner and has won three of his four starts. In his third start, he took the one-mile Secretariat Stakes (G1T) Aug. 10 at Arlington International Racecourse. He returned Oct. 5 in the Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland but finished off the board and has not raced since.

British-bred Value Proposition has also won three of four starts but has yet to win at the graded level. The Dansili ridgling broke his maiden last year and then finished seventh in the Pennine Ridge Stakes (G3T), both at Belmont Park. He returned to take a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming test at Saratoga with a rallying nose score.

He won his only start this year June 3, defeating fellow Poker entrant Dream Friend, who finished third, in a one-mile allowance-level test at Belmont.

Entries: Poker S. (G3T)

Belmont Park, Saturday, July 04, 2020, Race 8

• Grade IIIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $150,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 5:13 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Dream Friend (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	John P. Terranova II	8/1
2	2Valid Point (KY)	Javier Castellano	122	Chad C. Brown	7/2
3	3Hawkish (KY)	Manuel Franco	120	James J. Toner	12/1
4	4Seismic Wave (KY)	Joel Rosario	120	William I. Mott	8/1
5	5Social Paranoia (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Todd A. Pletcher	4/1
6	6Eons (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	122	Arnaud Delacour	20/1
7	7Got Stormy (KY)	John R. Velazquez	119	Mark E. Casse	7/2
8	8Its All Relevant (KY)	Romero Ramsay Maragh	118	Rudy R. Rodriguez	3/5
9	9Value Proposition (GB)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Chad C. Brown	5/2