Got Stormy Seeks Another Strong Showing in Fourstardave

If anyone is curious about the weather for Aug. 14 at Saratoga Race Course, check with trainer Mark Casse.

More than most people, he figures to be keeping close tabs on the forecast. After all, the recently inducted Hall of Famer has a vested interest in having a dry, hard course at the Spa for Saturday's races.

In MyRaceHorse Stable and Spendthrift Farm's grade 1-winning Got Stormy , Casse has a 6-year-old grass mare who does her best running on firm turf and he's hopeful she'll find those optimum conditions Saturday when she tackles males in the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) at Saratoga.

"I try to keep an eye on the weather since it plays such a big factor for her," Casse said. "As long as it's hard and fast we'll run. If not we'll pass and run at Kentucky Downs in a stakes."

As of right now, there's a 40% chance of morning showers Saturday in Saratoga, which fits with the way 2021 has been unfolding for the $2.1 million earner who was unplaced in her last two starts.

While facing some tough rivals in Raging Bull , Blowout , and Casa Creed  in a field of eight in the mile turf stakes, Casse is hopeful that a return to Saratoga will generate some déjà vu as the Spa was the place where the daughter of Get Stormy   skyrocketed to stardom. A grade 3 winner before August of 2019, she won the Fasig-Tipton De La Rose Stakes for fillies at the Spa in the track record time of 1:33.13 for the mile. She then smashed that mark a week later when she won the Fourstardave in the new track record time of 1:32.

"She enjoys the weather in Saratoga and training over the turf course (at Oklahoma)," Casse said. "The key for her, and I've said it a million times, is that she likes it hard and fast. She likes the turns at Saratoga which are sharper than most. She is quick-footed when you ask her and she handles those turns here very well."

After her breakthrough performance in the 2019 Fourstardave, she closed out the year with seconds in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T) and TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T), and a win in the Matriarch Stakes (G1T) over fillies and mares to earn acclaim as a finalist for the female turf champion award.

Her 5-year-old season in 2020 was filled with ups and downs as she finished second in the Fourstardave and Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T), but won only two of eight starts. By the end of the year she was focused on sprints and finished fifth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T).

After the World Championships, owners Gary Barber and Southern Equine Stable sold her for $2,750,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale, where she was bought by Spendthrift Farm. In turn, Spendthrift worked out a deal with MyRaceHorse, which sells microshares of its horses to its clients, to lease Got Stormy's racing rights and keep her in training with Casse.

"I think it's a great concept," Casse said about MyRaceHorse, which offered 5,100 shares at $45 each for a .01 percentage. "People can always bet on a horse but this way you can own it for a while and enjoy it."

For the new connections, Got Stormy started 2021 by winning the Honey Fox Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park at a mile, but then was fifth in both the Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2T) and the Jackpocket Jaipur Stakes (G1T) at six furlongs.

With the Turf Sprint at Del Mar contested at five furlongs this year, Casse said if Got Stormy runs in the Breeders' Cup it will be in the Mile. 

"Five furlongs just might be too short for her," Casse said.

To get there, regardless if she runs Saturday, the Sept. 11 Ladies Sprint Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs will most likely be next. As for why he has been shifting between a mile and sprints, Casse points out there are simply not a lot of suitable options at either distance for such a valuable and highly accomplished mare.

"The spots for her are so limited, considering what she's done," Casse said. "It doesn't make sense to run her in some races."

In order to keep the Breeders' Cup on the radar, Casse will need to see an improved performance Saturday. Heading into the mile stakes, he's been pleased with the mare's training.

"Her last couple of breezes have been good," he said.

She will need to be at her best Saturday as she will be facing a tough collection of seven rivals.

Peter Brant's multiple grade 1 winner Raging Bull, the 122-pound highweight, had a mind-boggling streak of 12 straight grade 1 starts snapped last time out when he rallied through a tight hole along the rail while second in the mile Poker Stakes (G3T).

"The rail was not where we wanted to be. (Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.) was desperately trying to extract him at different times and there was no way he could," trainer Chad Brown said. "He had to roll with the inside trip. We know if he can get clear on the outside, that's his best trip and hopefully it will line up Saturday."

An earner of $1.5 million with seven wins in 19 starts, Raging Bull also ran in the last two editions of the Fourstardave, finishing behind Got Stormy both times even though the son of Dark Angel  was sent off at lower odds on the toteboard each time. He was second in 2019 and fifth last year. Raging Bull was one of four starters Brown sent out among the field of nine last year and, surprisingly, wound up the best finisher of the bunch despite being unplaced. Included in Brown's foursome was 2-1 favorite Uni , who was seventh.

"For whatever reason, the Fourstardave was a weird race last year," Brown said. "None of my horses fired and to this this day I still don't know how none of them handled the turf that day. I'm curious about how he handles this course. Maybe it's not his favorite course, though he could not be training any better."

Besides his two starts in the Fourstardave Raging Bull won the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T) and the Saranac Stakes (G3T) at the Spa as a 3-year-old.

Brown will also send out a talented turf mare of his own in Brant's Blowout, a speedy 5-year-old Dansili  mare who has a mark of four wins, seven seconds, and a third in 12 career starts.

Though she will be facing males for the first time, she beat Got Stormy last time out in winning the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile.

The Fourstardave features another returnee from 2020 in LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable's grade 1-winning Casa Creed, who was third last year. The son of Jimmy Creed   won the six-furlong Jaipur in his last start for trainer Bill Mott and was scratched from last week's Troy Stakes Presented by Horse Racing Ireland (G3T) at 5 1/2 furlongs to run in this spot.

Entries: Fourstardave H. (G1T)

Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, August 14, 2021, Race 10

• Grade I
• 1m
• Inner turf
• $500,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 6:13 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Raging Bull (FR)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Chad C. Brown	-
2	Whisper Not (GB)	Jose L. Ortiz	117	Richard Baltas	-
3	Daddy Is a Legend (PA)	Manuel Franco	114	George Weaver	-
4	Casa Creed (KY)	Junior Alvarado	120	William I. Mott	-
5	Set Piece (GB)	Florent Geroux	119	Brad H. Cox	-
6	Got Stormy (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	115	Mark E. Casse	-
7	Field Pass (MD)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	118	Michael J. Maker	-
8	Blowout (GB)	Joel Rosario	116	Chad C. Brown	-