Storm the Hill Closes Late to Win Maddy

Painting Corners seemed to put away the Senator Ken Maddy (G3T) field as she sprinted into the stretch Nov. 3 at Santa Anita Park.

But with a clear lead as she made her way over the dirt crossing in the hillside turf race, the brutal early pace the Pleasant Strike filly set eventually took its toll. Her stride shortened as she tired, but only one horse was making up any ground.

That horse was the Phil D'Amato-trained Storm the Hill, a Get Stormy  filly owned by Alastar Thoroughbred Company and Michael Valdez. Far back in eighth early, as Painting Corners ripped through an opening quarter-mile in :20.92, Storm the Hill's victory was a foregone conclusion in the final furlong, as she breezed by the frontrunner and cruised to the wire 1 3/4 lengths ahead under jockey Rafael Bejarano in a final time of 1:12.13 for about 6 1/2 furlongs.  

"She was much the best today," Bejarano said of the 4-year-old filly who has won three of her four starts sprinting down the hill. "She was in hand with me early and I could tell she was full of run. The pace set up really good for us. Her best performance is at 6 1/2 furlongs, and she's won at the distance and did again today."

Painting Corners held second, another 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Poster Girl.

"She made an easy lead and it seemed like we were just cruising, but she was going a little bit too fast," said Painting Corners' jockey, Evin Roman. "That was a fast quarter, and she got a little tired."

Bred in Kentucky by Kimberly Bradley and William Bradley, out of the Good and Tough mare Thornhill, Storm the Hill earned her second graded win with the Maddy victory and pushed her record to 5-1-6 from 23 starts and her earnings to $338,735. Her first graded win came in the one-mile Wilshire Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita June 24.

After Poster Girl came Bernina Star, Out of The Flames, Rubilinda, Miss Southern Miss, Travieza, and Go On Mary, to complete the order of finish.

Video: Senator Ken Maddy S. (G3T)