Halladay Keeps Got Stormy at Bay to Win Fourstardave
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Halladay turns back Got Stormy to win the Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga Race Course
Harrell Ventures' Halladay led throughout in the $400,000 Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) Aug. 22 at Saratoga Race Course, holding off defending winner Got Stormy to earn his first graded score.
The 4-year-old War Front colt was challenged by Got Stormy in the homestretch, but shook off the dual grade 1 winner en route to a 1 1/4-length victory.
"He's gotten really good, and we've seen it in the mornings in his training," winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. "He's been going great, and we were confident going in that he was at his very best and we thought we had a bit of a pace advantage, so we wanted to take the race to them. He didn't break great, but once he got his legs underneath him, he settled really well and kicked really strong."
The winner of the Sunshine Forever Stakes May 9 at Gulfstream Park, Halladay entered the Fourstardave off a fourth-place finish, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, after chasing in second in the 1 1/16-mile Bernard Baruch Handicap (G2T) July 26 at the Spa. Like he did in the Sunshine Forever, Halladay took the early initiative in the Fourstardave.
"We thought we were the speed in the race and we wanted to go ahead and let him do his thing, but he actually didn't break cleanly and it took him four or five strides to get his legs underneath him," Pletcher said. "Once he was able to get there, he pricked his ears and settled and relaxed nicely and kicked strong coming for home."
(L-R): Luis Saez and Todd Pletcher accept the Fourstardave trophy
Jockey Luis Saez guided Halladay through fractions of :23.85, :47.19, and 1:10.15. Emmaus was second at that point, 1 1/2 lengths behind the leader, and Got Stormy settled in third, tucked along the inside under jockey Tyler Gaffalione.
Halladay turned for home and Gaffalione tipped Got Stormy out, but the pacesetter only let her come within a length. He kicked on to complete the mile on good turf in 1:33.32. The course was dampened by a morning thunderstorm.
"He likes to be on the lead and likes to run free, and that was the key," Saez said. "He handled it beautiful. I think the turf was a little soft; when we got to the stretch, it took a couple of steps to get going. But when he felt the other horse, he gave it everything and took off and won the race."
The Fourstardave, part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, awarded Halladay an automatic berth in the Nov. 7 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T) at Keeneland.
Got Stormy stayed on for second. She holds the course record from a year ago when she ran a mile in 1:32 on firm turf.
"That was a big effort today," Gaffalione said. "She settled nicely right behind the leaders. When we got into the stretch, I found some room and she finished up nicely. It was just tough to get by the winner since he put in a big effort today."
Casa Creed was up for third, followed by Emmaus in fourth. Champion Uni, the 2-1 favorite and winner of last year's TVG Breeders' Cup Mile, raced in eighth early and lacked her usual kick in settling for seventh.
Halladay was bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Thoroughbreds and Winchell Thoroughbreds. He's the fifth winner from as many starters out of the multiple grade 3-winning Tapit mare Hightap. The gray fell short of his reserve when bidding stalled at $225,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale before he was privately purchased by agent Steve Young. He has earned $517,485 from a 6-2-4 record in 14 starts.
Hightap has a yearling Gun Runner filly, a Union Rags filly born in February, and was last reported bred to Arrogate .