Stormy Liberal Caught at the Wire in Dubai Prep
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Eddie Haskell (outside) just gets by Stormy Liberal to win an allowance race at Santa Anita
Stormy Liberal's allowance prep for the March 30 Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored By Azizi Developments (G1) featured drama and an uneasy moment Feb. 22 at Santa Anita Park.
Everything was going well for the two-time Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) winner and 2018 champion turf male until he passed the quarter pole in the five-furlong turf sprint.
Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen's 7-year-old Stormy Atlantic gelding got out of the gate best in the five-horse field, then settled into a stalking second as Peter Miller-trained stablemate Calculator sped to the lead and ran an opening quarter in :20.88.
Stormy Liberal moved alongside Calculator late in the turn and appeared set to take the lead turning for home, but he stumbled and lost momentum for a moment. He kept trying during the stretch run, however, and held a half-length lead with a furlong to run but got passed in the final strides by Philip Wood and Jim Hailey's Eddie Haskell, who got his head in front at the wire in a final time of :55.06.
Stormy Liberal's jockey, Drayden Van Dyke, lost his whip in the final sixteenth when his right arm made contact with the left arm of Joel Rosario, who was aboard Eddie Haskell.
Van Dyke declined to comment to BloodHorse after the race and Miller was unavailable to comment on Stormy Liberal's condition, but the gelding finished the race well after the stumble and appeared to gallop out in good order.
Van Dyke spoke to TVG after the race and told the network's Britney Eurton the turf was "kind of wet" in the turn.
"He hit a bad spot and almost lost his whole balance … and his stride," the rider said. "It definitely cost me the race, but he came back all right, so that's the main thing."
Miller told the Santa Anita publicity department, "We'll have to see how he is. Hopefully we can go on with him."
After finishing his 2018 season on a four-race win streak, capped by his Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint victory at Churchill Downs, Stormy Liberal has finished second in both of his 2019 races. He came in second to Caribou Club in the Jan. 1 Joe Hernandez Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita.