SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. − After his five-race winning streak was snapped at Woodbine five weeks ago, Get Stormy seeks to start a new run of success where the old one began when he starts as the probable favorite in Sunday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga.
The Fourstardave drew a field of 10, but four were cross-entered in Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Oceanport Handicap at Monmouth Park. By Friday, trainer Patrick Biancone was expected to run Nownownow in the Fourstardave and Violon Sacre in the Oceanport. The connections of Whatsthescript and Cherokee Artist had not decided, though Graham Motion, trainer of Cherokee Artist, was leaning toward running in the Fourstardave, run at 1 1/16 miles over the outer turf.
Tom Bush, the trainer of Get Stormy, said he would like to see Cherokee Artist run at Monmouth. Get Stormy does his best running on the front end, and Cherokee Artist could have enough speed to apply pressure on him.
Get Stormy used his speed to win a first-level allowance race over Saratoga’s inner turf July 29, 2009. Thereafter he won four consecutive stakes before finishing fourth behind Grand Adventure as the favorite in the Group 2 King Edward at Woodbine on June 27.
“I thought the winner was in tremendous form,” Bush said. “The grass was very long. It definitely was on the soft side, and it was one turn instead of two turns. I just think all those things stacked up against him. He didn’t seem to bounce over the ground like he normally does.”
Bush said Get Stormy has had a good month since returning from Canada, and he said he believes Get Stormy is “coming into the race the right way.”
Bush said he was happy that Get Stormy drew the rail and will be ridden by red-hot Javier Castellano.
Public Speaker has run four strong races for trainer Ken McPeek but has three seconds and a third to show for it. Last time out, in the Grade 2 Firecracker Handicap at a mile at Churchill, he couldn’t run down the loose-on-the-lead Tizdejavu.
“I like the mile and a sixteenth,” McPeek said. “I think the horse needs an honest pace. The horse is steady, and we got Robby [Albarado] back on him, so I’m looking forward to it.’’
Pinckney Hill, who beat Get Stormy in a maiden race 14 months ago, cuts back in distance after finishing eighth in the Grade 1 Manhattan at 1 1/4 miles, a race in which he had to take up at the eighth pole.
“Get Stormy is sharper because he’s running consistently,” said Angel Penna, trainer of Pinckney Hill. “I have gaps. I think he’ll overcome that though, and I’m looking forward to seeing him run.”
Zifzaf has won three straight. Cherokee Artist and Wesley finished one-two in a July 2 allowance race at Belmont.
Winslow Homer tops Curlin
The connections of Winslow Homer are taking a step back in hopes of moving forward to the $1 million Travers later in the meet.
Rather than run in either of this weekend’s richer 3-year-old stakes, such as the Haskell or Jim Dandy, Winslow Homer tops the field for the $75,000 Curlin Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile race restricted to nonwinners of a graded stakes race over a mile in 2010. Winslow Homer won the Grade 3 Holy Bull at a mile at Gulfstream in January.
Forced to the sidelines by a knee injury, Winslow Homer returned to finish third in the Grade 3 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows on June 26.
“That racetrack out there that day was very, very fast, benefited the speed,” trainer Tony Dutrow said. “That’s not the best scenario for Winslow Homer.”
Dutrow said Winslow Homer was not 100 percent fit going into the Iowa Derby, but he said he feels Winslow Homer is “very close to being all there right now.”
With Ramon Dominguez riding First Dude in Sunday’s Haskell at Monmouth, Robby Albarado picks up the mount on Winslow Homer, who will break from the rail.
Winaholic, a son of Tiznow trained by Todd Pletcher, should appreciate stretching out around two turns. Westshore won a first-level allowance race by 14 1/4 lengths at Churchill five weeks ago.
