Got Stormy Tries Sprinting at Kentucky Downs

The first half of 2020 may not have unfolded according to plan for Got Stormy, but trainer Mark Casse would be delighted if she can build off her previous start and mirror her success in the second half of 2019.

Though Gary Barber's 5-year-old mare is winless in five starts this year, her most recent try marked a return to the form that made the grade 1 winner a finalist last year for champion turf female—and bodes well for her chances Sept. 12 in the $500,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs.

The winner of the 2019 Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course against males during a campaign in which she was second in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T), Got Stormy was second at 10-1 odds in the Aug. 22 Fourstardave in a bounce-back effort after fourth-place finishes in her two previous starts.

The big twist in Saturday's race that has an overflow field of 12 fillies and mares is that the 6 1/2-furlong stakes will test the daughter of Get Stormy  in a race shorter than 7 1/2 furlongs for the first time. 

"I've been wanting to sprint her for a long time," Casse said. "Six and a half down there (at Kentucky Downs) equates to about seven-eighths of a mile, which I think will be perfect for her."

Though Got Stormy was the runner-up in the Mile last year, Casse said the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T), a 5 1/2-furlong stakes Nov. 7 at Keeneland, could be in the cards for her if she handles Saturday's test with aplomb.

Equally important, Casse is hoping the daughter of the Malabar Gold mare Super Phoebe will find the hard turf she relishes wherever she runs.

"A lot of people said this year she's not as good," Casse said. "I don't think that's true at all. She has yet to catch a real hard turf course. Even her last race, when she ran second in the Fourstardave, you could see it throwing up. It had some give to it. That's what's hurt her this year."

Got Stormy, who has earned $1,613,078 with eight wins and five seconds from 23 starts, is the lone stakes winner from her dam's seven foals to race. A yearling son of Super Phoebe by Mohaymen  who was bought by Redly Bloodstock for $145,000 from Pope McLean's consignment last year at The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky fall mixed sale, is scheduled to sell as Hip 1195 from Paramount Sales' consignment at the upcoming Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

A 2-1 morning-line favorite, Got Stormy will break from post 8 with regular rider Tyler Gaffalione.

Ten Broeck Farm's 3-year-old Kimari is the second favorite on the morning line but is likely to scratch, trainer Wesley Ward said Sept. 11. Ward plans to run her in either the Sept. 13 Music City Stakes or the Sept. 16 Franklin-Simpson Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs.

G. Chris Coleman and Brad King's Into Mystic is also a turf sprint stakes winner. The 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief  exits a victory in the prep for Saturday's race, the Aug. 2 Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Sprint Stakes at Ellis Park.

The grade 3 turf stakes Saturday also features the top two finishers from the Aug. 1 Caress Stakes at Saratoga in Cheyenne Stables' Cariba, who rallied from fourth to prevail by a half-length, and Three Diamonds Farm's Jakarta, who was second after setting the early pace in the 5 1/2-furlong turf race.

Entries: Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint S. (G3T)

Kentucky Downs, Saturday, September 12, 2020, Race 8

• Grade IIIT
• 6 1/2f
• Turf
• $500,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 3:59 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Intuicao (BRZ)	Florent Geroux	125	Paulo H. Lobo	20/1
2	2I'llhandalthecash (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	123	Raymond Handal	20/1
3	3Winning Envelope (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Chris M. Block	20/1
4	4Quebec (KY)	Adam Beschizza	121	Joe Sharp	30/1
5	5Change of Control (KY)	Colby J. Hernandez	121	Michelle Lovell	15/1
6	6Mentality (NY)	Gerardo Corrales	123	Wesley A. Ward	15/1
7	7Cariba (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	123	Christophe Clement	8/1
8	8Got Stormy (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	121	Mark E. Casse	2/1
9	9Into Mystic (KY)	Joseph Talamo	123	Brendan P. Walsh	6/1
10	10Jakarta (PA)	Luis Saez	121	Michael J. Maker	10/1
11	11Kimari (KY)	Julio A. Garcia	118	Wesley A. Ward	4/1
12	12Surrender Now (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	121	Steven M. Asmussen	15/1
13	13Dixieincandyland (KY)	Javier Castellano	121	Eddie Kenneally	30/1
14	14Lady Lawyer (KY)	Joel Rosario	121	Chad C. Brown	15/1
15	15Bohemian Bourbon (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Ian R. Wilkes	20/1