Stormy Liberal Sprints to Male Turf Horse Championship

In closing the year with four straight victories, a stretch capped by a defense of his Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) score, Stormy Liberal becomes the first sprinter to earn an Eclipse Award in the male turf horse division.

In a year that no male horse dominated the traditional top two- or three-turn turf races in North America—typically the races that produce the Eclipse Award winner in this division; Stormy Liberal made history, winning four of seven starts—the longest being about 6 1/2 furlongs.

In late March at Meydan in Dubai, Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen's Stormy Liberal put in a strong run against top international sprinters to earn a runner-up finish in the Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by Azizi Developments (G1) on Dubai World Cup Day. But the Stormy Atlantic  gelding really put things together in the summer and fall, reeling off four straight narrow victories capped by a hard-fought win over World of Trouble in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

The neck margin of victory in the Turf Sprint would be the most decisive earned in 2018 by Stormy Liberal, who was guided by Drayden Van Dyke throughout the win streak.

"He knows where the wire is, for sure, but I think he could've won by three (lengths)," Van Dyke said after Stormy Liberal won the Eddie D Stakes (G3T) by a head in late September at Santa Anita Park.

Stormy Liberal is one of two horses trained by Peter Miller to earn Eclipse Awards this year as Roy H secured his second straight championship in the male sprinter division. Miller said after the Breeders' Cup that Stormy Liberal's competitiveness allows him to pull out those close wins.

"He just has tremendous heart; really wants to win. He knows where the wire is and does just enough. He does just enough; he doesn't over exert himself in any race or any workout. He's a very smart horse," Miller said. "So I would say his heart, but also his soundness and durability, have been keys. You can't do this with most horses; you can't do this. They are just not able to. So he's just a special horse in so many ways."

Stormy Liberal, out of the Royal Academy mare Vassar, was bred in Kentucky by Dapple Bloodstock and Gryphon Investments. Stormy Liberal is the first Eclipse Award winner for sire Stormy Atlantic, who also boasts four Canadian champions, including Horse of the Year Up With the Birds, a Mexican Horse of the Year, and an imported champion in Puerto Rico.