MyRacehorse Stable and Spendthrift Farm's dual grade 1 winner Got Stormy held off a furious late bid from graded stakes winner Zofelle by a nose to make a triumphant 6-year-old debut Feb. 27 in the $125,000 Honey Fox Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park.
The one-mile Honey Fox for older turf females was the first start for the daughter of Get Stormy since her fifth against males in the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Keeneland.
With regular rider Tyler Gaffalione aboard for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, Got Stormy ($4.20) completed the distance in 1:35.52 over a firm course to push her bankroll to $2,096,553, with an 11-5-3 record from 27 starts.
Sent off as the even-money favorite in a field of eight, Got Stormy settled second behind Claiming Crown Distaff Dash winner Jakarta, who finished third to Got Stormy after setting the pace in the Franklin County Stakes (G3T) last fall at Keeneland. Jakarta posted splits of :24.29, :48.76, and 1:12.72 and maintained the lead turning for home, but Got Stormy was looming.
The swift chestnut ranged up in the straight and drew even inside the eighth pole as Zofelle began rolling on the outside, setting up the spirited bid to the wire.
The finish may have been a narrow one, but Casse had full faith in his runner.
"I was really confident with her, as long as the turf stayed hard," he said. "She had a great spot. Just kind of what we thought, we thought the horse that was on the lead would be there and she was sitting nice. She kicked and you could see a little bit of the rustiness today. She kicked, but she didn't kick as hard as she does sometimes. I think she'll build from this and get better...It's just which direction do we go. She can do a little bit of anything. I don't know. We may sprint her. Never over a mile though."
Feel Glorious was part of the photo finish, running third, a neck behind the runner-up, with Jakarta fourth. Art of Almost, Ricetta, Secret Time, and Bienville Street completed the order of finish.
"She's a tremendous (mare)," Gaffalione said. "I've been able to get to know her the past few years and I have a lot of confidence every time I'm on her. She shows up every time. Really all the credit goes to Mark and his team to get her ready off the layoff. She fired a big one today."`
Bred in Kentucky by Mt. Joy Stables, Pope McLean, Marc McLean, and Pope McLean Jr., Got Stormy is out of the Malabar Gold mare Super Phoebe and is a half sister to stakes-placed Sky Gold. She was purchased for $45,000 by Alan Quartucci from Niall Brennan Stables' consignment to the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale and raced for Quartucci and trainer Lisa Lewis before she was bought privately by Gary Barber in early 2018. She sold in late 2020 for $2.75 million to Spendthrift via Bluewater Sales' consignment to The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's premier breeding stock sale, after which MyRacehorse acquired an interest.
Super Phoebe foaled a Bolt d'Oro colt in 2020 and was bred to Uncle Mo for 2021.
Video: Honey Fox S. (G3T)
Venezuelan Hug Takes Canadian Turf
Also on the Saturday card at Gulfstream, Spedale Family Racing and R. A. Hill Stable's Venezuelan Hug , racing on the inside throughout, found a seam between horses nearing the wire under Junior Alvarado and got his nose down to edge Olympic Runner in the $125,000 Canadian Turf Stakes (G3T).
The 1 1/16-mile Canadian Turf for older turf horses is right in the wheelhouse of Venezuelan Hug ($11), who improved to 5-for-5 lifetime at the distance. The winning time was 1:40.42 over a firm course.
"I got a little concerned when he got stuck down in there," trainer Danny Gargan said. "He's such a big horse, I was a little worried he wouldn't be able to get through. The only instructions I gave Junior was that he likes to make his run on the outside, but he's won a couple times on the inside now so he's maturing. He does really well pretty much everywhere we've had him, but he does love it down here. He likes two turns. He really digs in and gives you a big effort every time.
"He's a really big horse, he's almost 17 hands, and I said just try to keep him out of trouble and when you ask him, he'll come running for you. I expected a big performance from him. I told (co-owner) Randy (Hill) to book his flight and come down here because he'll have a lot of fun today. He was lucky enough to win two today. It's kind of exciting when your owners can come to town and have a big day."
Bizzee Channel, sent off at odds of 25-1, set fractions of :23.69 for a quarter-mile and :48.48 for the half under moderate pressure from Winters Back to his outside, with Fancy Liquor and Gear Jockey racing in behind. Alvarado saved ground aboard Venezuelan Hug along the rail in fifth to the inside of Olympic Runner.
Winters Back moved up and took a short lead over Bizzee Channel once straightened for home, while Olympic Runner swung to the outside to launch a bid while Alvarado bided his time on Venezuelan Hug. Olympic Runner appeared on the way to victory until Venezuelan Hug split Winters Back on his inside and Gear Jockey to earn his third consecutive win, all in stakes.
"That's what happens on the turf," Alvarado said. "Sometimes you get lucky and you get through it and you look like a hero. Sometimes you don't get through it and you look like the bad guy. I just was glad that I had the horse today. He pushed through it and made my job easier. I just had to go with him. He's such a cool horse."
Olympic Runner edged 25-1 long shot Gear Jockey for second, with Winters Back fourth and 5-2 favorite Eons fifth. Dynadrive, Fancy Liquor, Bizzee Channel, and Monarchs Glen completed the order of finish.
Venezuelan Hug was bred in Florida by Orlyana Farm out of the Giant's Causeway mare Downtown Diva. He improved his record to six wins and a third from 10 starts, with earnings of $252,830.
