Storm the Hill Surges Home to Take Wilshire
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Storm the Hill wins the Wilshire Stakes
After an unsuccessful five-race stint in Florida and Kentucky, Alastar Thoroughbred Company and Michael Valdes' Storm the Hill got to run in her favorite spot June 24 in the $100,000 Wilshire Stakes (G3T).
All three of her previous wins—back in 2017—came on the Santa Anita Park grass and she ran like she was happy to be back in the California sunshine Sunday in the one-mile grass stakes.
In her first start for trainer Phil D'Amato—she was trained by Peter Miller during her first go round in California—the 4-year-old Get Stormy filly settled into sixth early behind fast fractions, advanced with little asking from jockey Rafael Bejarano in the second turn, and accelerated away from the field on the outside in the final three-sixteenths to win by 1 1/2 lengths over favored Ancient Secret, another D'Amato trainee.
"She's been training like a good horse," D'Amato said. "I mean, she came from a great trainer (Eddie Kenneally), so all I really had to do was maintain her.
"They were going really fast early, and I thought my other filly, Ancient Secret, was in a good spot (a stalking fourth through the early stages). But I think Storm the Hill, being a little farther off of that fast pace, kinda helped her come on strong."
Miss Julia Star was involved in an early rush for the lead with others in the nine-horse field, but assumed command of the race entering the first turn. With a clear lead she set a pace of :22.82, :45.94, and 1:09.69 through six furlongs. Cordiality, who stalked in second through the backstretch run, put her head in front as the field turned for home, but the lead was short-lived.
Storm the Hill stormed by on the outside to finish off the distance in 1:33.77, and Cordiality held third, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of grade 2 winner Beau Recall. Sassy Little Lila came in fifth and was followed by Gamely (G1T) winner Sophie P, Miss Julia Star (FR), Bella Luma, and Shehastheritestuff, to complete the order of finish.
"My filly has speed, but I could see that about four horses were going early, so I decided to just save ground," Bejarano said. "When we got to the half-mile pole, I asked her to pick it up a little, and were able to follow (Ancient Secret) around the turn.
"At the top of the stretch, we were able to get the first jump on her and she gave me a big kick."
Bred in Kentucky by Kimberly Bradley and William Bradley, out of the Good and Tough mare Thornhill, Storm the Hill now has a 4-1-6 record from 20 starts. Her previous stakes win came on the Santa Anita turf in the 2017 Unzip Me. After a placing in the Autumn Miss (G3T) at Santa Anita in October, she went winless in five starts for Kenneally, but finished third in the 2017 Tropical Park Oaks at Gulfstream Park.
Storm the Hill was a $275,000 purchase by Alastar Thoroughbreds out of the 2017 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.