Stormy Liberal Ekes Out Daytona Victory

Rockingham Ranch's Stormy Liberal ran to his 1-2 odds and captured the $150,000 Daytona Stakes (G3T) May 27 at Santa Anita Park in the nick of time to secure his first graded victory.

The Stormy Atlantic   gelding is four-for-four down the hillside turf this season, all in stakes races for trainer Peter Miller, and was confidently handled by Norberto Arroyo Jr. as he stepped up to graded company for the first time since a runner-up effort in December's San Simeon Stakes (G3T).

In a field of older horses whittled down to four with the scratches of Eddie Haskell and Roy H, Stormy Liberal bided his time just off the pace set by 10-1 shot Blackjackcat through an opening quarter-mile in :22.40. Making his move across the dirt headed into the stretch of the 6 1/2-furlong sprint, he was still under an easy hand ride to reel in graded stakes winner Ambitious Brew after that rival punched through on the rail from third under Mike Smith to run a :44.15 half-mile. 

While Stormy Liberal passed his rival without much pressure from Arroyo, Ambitious Brew fought back on the inside, and Arroyo got down to business in the final strides to urge his mount to victory by a neck. The final time was 1:12.43.

"They might have given me more trouble if we were running another sixteenth of a mile. I felt him (Ambitious Brew) coming back a little but I realized it was my horse slowing down, waiting," Arroyo said. "I could feel it. I saw the wire and knew he wouldn't have enough time to get to us. ... I had them from the get go and I knew I had more horse than him the whole time."

It was 1 1/4 lengths back to Blackjackcat in third. Home Run Kitten completed the order of finish. With no show wagering, Stormy Liberal returned $3 and $2.10, and Ambitious Brew brought $2.20.

Bred in Kentucky by Dapple Bloodstock & Gryphon Investments LLC, Stormy Liberal is out of the Royal Academy mare Vassar. He sold to agent Dennis O'Neill for $100,000 from the Wavertree Stables Consignment to the Ocala Breeders' Sales June 2014 2-year-olds and horses of racing age sale, and was claimed by Miller and Rockingham owner Gary Hartunian for $40,000 in October. His record now stands at 7-6-1 from 20 starts for earnings of $432,070.

"David Lanzman suggested we claim this horse and we've just been rolling on the good times ever since," Hartunian said. "He's found his niche coming down the hill, that's for sure. Norberto had a good hold of him; he's gonna give me a heart attack making it that close. 

"It's a great day and Santa Anita is the greatest place in the world."