Conquest Typhoon Last to First in DeMille

 

Conquest Typhoon rallied from last and caught Stormy Liberal in the final strides to score as the even money favorite in the $150,000 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (gr. IIIT)  for 2-year-olds Nov. 30, closing day at Del Mar.

 

The DeMille, at one mile on the turf, was formerly the Generous Stakes when contested at Hollywood Park.

 

Content to race in last in the eight-horse field while able to save ground after breaking from the far outside post, Conquest Typhoon was angled out off the rail turning for home under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith. The even-money favorite collared Stormy Liberal in the shadow of the post, and edged to a half-length triumph.

 

Both the winner and runner-up are by Central Kentucky sire Stormy Atlantic  .

 

"Mark (trainer Mark Casse) thought this horse was going to be a little lazy today, so he told me to warm him up pretty good," Smith said of Conquest Typhoon, who posted his second win from six career starts. "I got him behind the gate and got him on his toes. He usually shows speed but he didn't come out of there so well. Sometimes, though, those things work out for the best. 

 

"The way the race came up, it was best that we were where we were. At the half-mile pole I was in contention, so that was fine. Then I got him out and he made that run. The way he was going, I thought we were going to win it easy. But the horse inside (Stormy Liberal) was game and made us work for it."

 

The final time for the one-mile race on firm turf was 1:36.93. 

 

Conquest Typhoon won the Summer Stakes (Can-IIT) Sept. 30 at Woodbine to break his maiden. He came into the Cecil B. DeMille after finishing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) Oct. 31, beaten 2 1/4 lengths by winner Hootenanny. That is the only off-the-board finish in six starts for the bay colt. 

 

Casse completed a sweep of Del Mar's closing weekend graded turf events for 2-year-olds after taking the Jimmy Durante Stakes (gr. IIIT, formerly the Miesque) for fillies Saturday with Ol' Fashion Gal.

 

"The last eighth of a mile went in :11 and (4/5) or so, and I don't know how far back he was, but he zoomed home," Casse said of Conquest Typhoon. "I was not sure I wanted to run him because I thought maybe the Breeders' Cup had knocked him out a little bit. We'll give him a little break and for now he'll stay in California. It has been just a dream meet (three stakes in three days). I love this place."

 

Carrying top weight of 122 pounds, Conquest Typhoon returned $4 to win, $3 to place, and $2.40 to show. Stormy Liberal paid $7.60 to place and $5 to show, while Rock Shandy, who finished 1 1/2 lengths farther back in third, returned $4.80.

 

"This was a heckuva race for him," jockey William Antongeorgi III said of Stormy Liberal. "It was his first time long and his first time against winners, and he ran great. He rated nicely for me and he was game late. Next time he'll be double tough."

 

St. Joe Bay got up to be fourth, and was followed by Soul Driver, Papacoolpapacool, Diamond Majesty, and Sebastian's Heart.

 

Daddy D T, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, and Guilty were both early scratches by trainer John Sadler.

 

Conquest Typhoon was bred in Ontario by Josham Farms and is out of the Ascot Knight mare Swanky Bubbles. He was purchased by owner Conquest Stables for $330,000 from the Hill 'n Dale Sales Agency consignment at the 2013 Keeneland September yearling sale. The $90,000 winner's share of the Cecil B. DeMille purse increase his career earnings to $352,065.