Stormy Liberal Aims for Al Quoz Sprint Top Spot
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Photo: Mathea Kelley/Dubai Racing Club
With experience on the straight course at Meydan under his belt, two-time Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) winner Stormy Liberal will take a second shot March 30 at the top spot in the $2 million Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by Azizi Developments (G1).
In last year's Al Quoz, Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen's eventual champion turf male finished with a flurry in the stretch but settled for second, a half-length behind Godolphin's fast-closing Jungle Cat, in the 1,200-meter (about six-furlong) test. That close call has Rockingham Ranch manager Brian Trump looking forward to another try.
"I think he did a tremendous job last year; he did have some traffic," Trump said. "It looked like he made a move to get outside, couldn't get outside, and came back inside and got up for second. Hopefully, he can get a little better trip and we can take this one down.
"The straight sprint is a whole different ballgame. It's obviously going to split into two different groups and one side will be faster than the other, so you never know what you're going to get—he'll battle at the end, and hopefully it's on the side that's the faster of the two sides."
Trained by Peter Miller, Stormy Liberal followed his second Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint win and the conclusion of his championship year with a pair of runner-up finishes in turf sprints at Santa Anita Park this season: the Joe Hernandez Stakes (G3T) on the downhill course Jan. 1 and a five-furlong allowance race Feb. 22.
The 7-year-old Stormy Atlantic gelding will start from the inside post Saturday.
"I feel like he's peaking going into this race. I think his last two preps were a little off; I don't think he was fully cranked for the first one, and then the last one he had that slip, but he still battled like he always does—he's a very gritty horse," Trump said. "He seems to always peak in these big races. We make sure he's ready for this race and the Breeders' Cup. In between, we try to pick and choose our spots and pick some easier spots when we can, but there's just not a lot of turf sprint racing in the States, so we have to do what we can."
Miller will also send out Gary Barber's Belvoir Bay, a 6-year-old daughter of Equiano who defeated other females in last year's Monrovia Stakes (G2T) down the hill at Santa Anita. Belvoir Bay has a pair of turf sprint wins at Santa Anita this season, the Las Cienegas Stakes down the hill Jan. 12 and the five-furlong Wishing Well Stakes Feb. 16.
Miller is pleased with how both horses shipped and have looked in the mornings.
"They seem to be very happy here, and that's all we ask for and all we can hope for," Miller said.
The other U.S.-trained horse in the field is Glen Hill Farm homebred Caribou Club, a 5-year-old City Zip gelding who defeated Stormy Liberal by 1 1/4 lengths in the Joe Hernandez Stakes.
If a U.S.-trained horse is to become the first to win the Al Quoz, they will have to defeat likely favorite Blue Point in the expected field of 13. Godolphin's Blue Point has opened the season with a pair of group stakes wins on the course, including a three-length waltz at the Al Quoz distance March 9 in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint Sponsored by Arabian Adventures (G3).
Last year, Blue Point was withdrawn at the start of the Al Quoz in what would have been his second start of the season. Later in the year, he won the King's Stand Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot. Recalling last year's Al Quoz, trainer Charlie Appleby opted for a pair of prep races this season.
"Visually, he was very impressive on his first start this year over 1,000 meters, and it wasn't originally our plan to run last time over the 1,200 meters, but the horse was doing so well at home," said Appleby, who is looking for a second straight score in the Al Quoz. "I also questioned whether I did the right thing last year by waiting for World Cup night and him turning up so fresh and, unfortunately, acting up the way he did pre-race and not being able to run. That's why I popped the extra run into him, and I was very pleased."