Stormy Embrace Repeats in Princess Rooney

Matalona Thoroughbreds' homebred Stormy Embrace was favored to defend her title in the $250,000 Princess Rooney Stakes (G2) June 29 at Gulfstream Park, and the 5-year-old Circular Quay mare rewarded her backers with a two-length victory in the Breeders' Cup Challenge race on the Summit of Speed card.

The Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) was the Kathleen O'Connell trainee's lone off-the-board finish in 2018, and the Princess Rooney score under jockey Wilmer Garcia gave her an automatic berth back into the World Championship race Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.

It's a chance owner Matt Vuskovich was hoping for.

"This business … sometimes you catch a buzz saw and sometimes you are the buzz saw—thank God with Kathleen and Wilmer we were the buzz saw today," Vuskovich said. "Plus, we wanted to go back (to the Breeders' Cup) because we have unattended business. She didn't have a really good trip. We feel if we can get a good trip in the Breeders' Cup, we can have a legitimate chance."

Razorback Lady got the jump at the break and led the first quarter-mile in :22.65. Stormy Embrace, the 1-5 favorite, loomed up on the outside and took over through a half-mile in :45.45. Despite turning three wide, she edged away to complete seven furlongs in 1:22.99 on a main track that dried out to good from sloppy early on the card.

"(Garcia) knows her. God bless her, the best thing about her is she'll do whatever you want," O'Connell said. "She's got speed, but if you ask her, she's going to go overboard. Wilmer's got a great set of hands, and he really fits her well."

Garcia has ridden Stormy Embrace in 13 of her 25 starts.

"Since I started working with her and working with Kathleen, she's been doing everything right for me," the jockey said. "And we just want to keep that team together."

Trenchtown Cat rallied for second and finished 5 1/4 lengths ahead of Royal Asscher. A fading Razorback Lady, Weekend Mischief, and Saguaro Row completed the order of finish. 

O'Connell will wait until later in the season to commit to a Breeders' Cup return with Stormy Embrace.

"We'll just see how it unfolds. She tells us what she needs and what to do," the trainer said. "Like I say, she's lasted a long time and mostly because (Matalona Thoroughbreds) are patient, wonderful people. We go one race at a time and one day at a time. She's holding her weight good. Her coat's good. We're happy with everything."

The Princess Rooney boosted Stormy Embrace's record to 9-6-4. She is the first filly or mare since Gold Mover in 2002-03 to win back-to-back editions. One start prior to the Princess Rooney, Stormy Embrace was a 10 1/2-length winner of the May 18 Musical Romance Stakes, another race she won last year. Her earnings total $710,030.

Stormy Embrace is out of the Stormy Atlantic  mare Stormy Allure, who foaled a Caleb's Posse  filly in 2018.



Diamond Oops Brings Smiles

The Summit of Speed also featured the $250,000 Smile Sprint Stakes (G3), a six-furlong event won by Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, and trainer Patrick Biancone's Diamond Oops. It was the first graded victory for the 4-year-old Lookin At Lucky  gelding. 

Jalen Journey took command of the pace, setting fractions in :22.74 and :45.31 over a good main track. Diamond Oops and jockey Julien Leparoux started in fourth and dropped back to fifth before rallying down the center of the track. Jalen Journey remained the one to catch as the favorite, but Diamond Oops had more run left and pulled off a mild upset at 6-1.

The final time was 1:09.92, with Diamond Oops besting Jalen Journey by three-quarters of a length.

"He broke very, very sharp, and I kind of let the speed go a little bit," Leparoux said. "I sat behind them around the turn. It got tight, so he sort of stepped back a little, but when I gave him a little room, he gave me a big run."

Fast Pass, Royal Squeeze, Garter and Tie, Cautious Giant, and Proforma completed the order of finish. 

The Smile Sprint marked Diamond Oops' return to dirt after two losses on turf to start the year. He only made one start at 3 but picked up two stakes wins as a juvenile in the Kiss a Native Stakes and Buffalo Man Stakes, both at Gulfstream. The trainer indicated Diamond Oops would remain on the dirt going forward.

Biancone and Leparoux also teamed with Princess Rooney fourth-place finisher Razorback Lady.

"You thought you were coming in to win with Razorback Lady, but it's going to be the other way," Biancone said he told Leparoux. "He said, 'Why?' I said, because (Diamond Oops) loves the wet, and the other one hates it."

Diamond Oops was bred in Kentucky by Kin Hui Racing Stables. He was consigned by Eaton Sales at the 2015 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale but RNA'd at $42,000. His dam is the stakes-winning Whywhywhy mare Patriotic Viva, who has also produced a stakes winner in Patriotic Diamond. Her last reported foal was a Texas Red  filly in 2018.

The Smile Sprint gives Diamond Oops a 4-0-1 record in eight starts and $305,110 in earnings.



Undercard Action

The first stakes race on the card was taken off the turf and run over a sloppy track. Matties Racing Stable and Averill Racing's Pay Any Price was favored to repeat his $75,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint Stakes success but was scratched due to the weather. Connections were still victorious as their 5-year-old mare Lady's Island led every step of the five furlongs, finishing in :57.22.

It was the second straight stakes victory for Lady's Island, who also won a sloppy, off-the-turf Nicole's Dream Stakes June 9. She was a distant second to Stormy Embrace in the Musical Romance.

As the track became good, 17-1 shot Take Command rallied to upset the $75,000 Carry Back Stakes for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs. Tropic Lightning Racing's colt came from seventh and caught Jackson, a tiring pacesetter, to win in 1:23.54.

Sophomore fillies were also tested at seven furlongs in the $75,000 Azalea Stakes. Laurie Plesa's Itsmyluckycharm, a homebred with trainer and husband Eddie Plesa Jr., got up to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:24.85, also on a good track. The Azalea was the third stakes win at Gulfstream this year for the daughter of Itsmyluckyday .

Video: Princess Rooney S. (G2)

Video: Smile Sprint S. (G3)