Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Stormy Liberal can boost ROI
ARCADIA, Calif. – Stormy Liberal was claimed for $40,000 in October, a purchase that is looking more and more like a steal for owner Gary Hartunian and trainer Peter Miller.
Since the claim, Stormy Liberal has been second twice and won the Clocker’s Corner Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Jan. 29. The 5-year-old gelding earned $47,700 from the Clocker’s Corner win alone.
“He’s a good horse, whether he ran for $40,000 or not,” Miller said.
Overall, Stormy Liberal has earned $78,700 since being claimed, a figure that can go past the six-figure mark if he wins Saturday’s $75,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.
“He’s as good as he’s been or better,” Miller said. “He’s not regressing. I think he should be tough.”
Stormy Liberal has the outside post in a field of eight older horses. Miller envisions Stormy Liberal as a stalker on Saturday even though he led throughout the Clocker’s Corner. Stormy Liberal won that race by 1 1/2 lengths over Forever Juanito, who is part of Saturday’s field.
Forever Juanito dueled for the lead with Stormy Liberal in the Clocker’s Corner while racing on the inside. Trainer Victor Garcia wonders what would have happened if Forever Juanito had been on the outside.
“I hope he can get a better trip,” he said.
The Hernandez Stakes will be the turf debut for Danzing Candy, who has not raced since finishing second at 1-5 in the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds last July here.
Trained by Bob Baffert, Danzing Candy won the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes last March and was later 15th in the Kentucky Derby when trained by Clifford Sise. Danzing Candy was transferred to Baffert in the days after the Kentucky Derby.
Forest Chatter will attract considerable support in his first start since July. A stakes winner in 2015 on the hillside for trainer Richard Mandella, Forest Chatter was held out of the Sensational Star Stakes for California-breds on the hillside turf course last weekend in favor of the Hernandez.
Midnight Storm Big Cap-bound
The heavy lifting is done for Midnight Storm, who breezed super on Monday, came out of the work in top shape, and is expected to start favored March 11 in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap.
Majority owner Alex Venneri and trainer Phil D’Amato considered skipping the Big Cap in favor of the Dubai World Cup on March 25 but early this week decided to stay home and try to make Grade 1 turf winner Midnight Storm a Grade 1 winner on dirt.
“We’re all set for the Big Cap,” D’Amato said Thursday. “It was our original plan. It’s his home track and a chance to win a Grade 1. To be accomplished as a Grade 1 winner on dirt and turf would be a nice feat.”
Rafael Bejarano will ride Midnight Storm, who will have an easy workout Sunday or Monday, pending weather.
“It will be just an easy fiveeighths,” D’Amato said. “He’s had three big breezes with sub1:40-mile gallop-outs, so he’s ready to go.”
Midnight Storm has won six of his last seven starts and will enter the Big Cap having won 10 races and $1.46 million from 21 starts. The 6-year-old is owned by Venneri and Little Red Feather Racing.
Aside from Midnight Storm, the probable starters include Follow Me Crev, Gangster, Hard Aces, Imperative, Twentytwentyvision, and possibly Isotherm and Shaman Ghost.
Texas Ryano, who won the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Del Mar in November, is nominated for the Big Cap but is more likely to start in the Grade 2 San Luis Rey Stakes, a $200,000 race at 1 1/2 miles on turf March 25, trainer Carla Gaines said on Thursday.
Texas Ryano worked six furlongs in 1:14.40 at Santa Anita on Thursday.
El Huerfano, fourth in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes on Feb. 4, is likely to skip the race, trainer Peter Miller said.
Santa Anita Handicap weight assignments are scheduled to be posted Saturday.
Mick Ruis takes trainer’s test
Owner Mick Ruis hopes to become a licensed trainer this week, after which his 25-horse string – including Grade 1 winner Union Strike – will be transferred to his name, ending a four-month period during which he employed three trainers, including his daughter Shelbe.
Union Strike won the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante last summer before Mick and Shelbe Ruis ended their business relationship. Craig Dollase became the trainer for the Ruis stable until late February, when the horses were transferred to Mark Rheinford.
Later this week, pending results of a trainer examination on Thursday, the 25 runners will be transferred to Mick Ruis; Rheinford will stay on as assistant trainer.
“All the horses will go in my name,” Ruis said Thursday morning while watching workouts and studying for the exam.
Ruis is a San Diego-based entrepreneur with an expanding presence in California racing. In addition to Union Strike and the Grade 1-placed 3-year-old colt Midnight Pleasure, who is nearing a comeback, Ruis has high hopes for Saburo. A 3-year-old colt by Medaglia d’Oro, Saburo is expected to debut this month.
On Saturday at Santa Anita, Ruis-owned, Rheinford-trained runners are top contenders in races 8 and 9. Two Hail Marys will be among the favorites in a Californiabred maiden sprint, and Rockport Babe makes her first start in nine months in a first-level allowance sprint for fillies and mares.