Stormy Liberal, Roy H Set for Another Campaign in 2019

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Stormy Liberal, Roy H Set for Another Campaign in 2019
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Photo: Coady Photography
Stormy Liberal after his win in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs

Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen have two legitimate contenders in multiple Eclipse Award categories for 2018, and the connections are hopeful the pair, even at advancing ages, can continue on their path of excellence in 2019.

"It's rinse and repeat," Rockingham racing manager Brian Trump said of two-time TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner Roy H and two-time Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) victor Stormy Liberal, who will launch his 7-year-old campaign in the $100,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes (G3T) Jan. 1 at Santa Anita Park. "It's worked for us the last few years."

The large targets for the Stormy Atlantic  gelding, according to Trump, will likely be the same as 2018—the Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored By Azizi Developments (G1) on Dubai World Cup night at Meydan in March (he finished second last year), the Jaipur Invitational Stakes (G1T) in June at Belmont Park (his worst performance of 2018, which was in part because a less-than-ideal trip), and the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita in November—although there may be some tweaks along the way.

"He had a hell of a year off a horrible performance in (the 2017 group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, where he finished 11th)," Trump said. "He gathered himself and put together an amazing year."

For both Peter Miller-trained geldings, Trump said he draws inspiration from Reynaldothewizard, who won the 2013 Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Gulf News (G1) and raced until he was 12.

"You look at a horse like Reynaldothewizard, who I had the honor of watching race in Dubai. He might have only been racing twice a year, but you could tell he still wanted to do it," Trump said. "We know they're getting older, and we don't know how much longer they can go at that level, but as long as they show they want to do it, we'll let them race. But as soon as they show signs they might not, we're absolutely going to take care of them."

For Roy H, who not only won the Breeders' Cup Sprint in consecutive years but figures to take champion male sprinter honors again, Trump said the More Than Ready  gelding, who will also be 7 in 2019, is training toward a start in the Jan. 19 Palos Verdes Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita—the same race he won in his 2018 debut. Targets after that include the Dubai Golden Shaheen (he finished third last year) and the series of grade 1 dirt sprints in California.

"It'll be easier to keep Roy H home with all those races in California, but we're probably going to have to find other spots for 'Stormy,'" Trump said.


Entries: Joe Hernandez S. (G3T)

Santa Anita Park, Tuesday, January 01, 2019, Race 8

  • Grade III
  • About 6 1/2f
  • Downhill turf
  • $100,000
  • 4 yo's & up
  • 3:34 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Cistron (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Tyler Baze 120 John W. Sadler 12/1
2 2Calculator (FL) Flavien Prat 120 Peter Miller 5/1
3 3Stormy Liberal (KY) Drayden Van Dyke 124 Peter Miller 8/5
4 4Afleet Ascent (LA) Kent J. Desormeaux 120 Jerry Hollendorfer 20/1
5 5Law Abidin Citizen (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Tiago Josue Pereira 122 Mark Glatt 6/1
6 6Pubilius Syrus (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Geovanni Franco 120 Vladimir Cerin 20/1
7 7Conquest Tsunami (ON)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joel Rosario 124 Peter Miller 3/1
8 8Caribou Club (FL) Joseph Talamo 124 Thomas F. Proctor 4/1