The popular Got Stormy, a 6-year-old Get Stormy chestnut trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, will cut back in distance in Saturday's Grade 1, $400,000 Jackpocket Jaipur, a six-furlong Widener turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
Following a pair of turf starts going one mile to start her 2021 campaign, including a nose win in the G3 Honey Fox at Gulfstream Park in February, Got Stormy will cut back to three-quarters of a mile in attempt to replicate winning form from last year that saw her post back-to-back G3 wins in the 6 1/2-furlong Ladies Sprint at Kentucky Downs and the 5 1/2-furlong Buffalo Trace Franklin County at Keeneland.
“It worked for her last year,” said Casse. “The only race so far of any significance this year was too short for her so we opted to give her a try going a mile with moderate success. So, we wanted to see if cutting her back didn't help.”
Got Stormy boasts a record of 28-11-5-3 with purse earnings in excess of $2.1 million and has faced the boys on six occasions with one win and four seconds, all in graded company, led by a memorable score in the 2019 G1 Fourstardave covering the mile in 1:32 flat over the firm inner turf at Saratoga.
Casse has enjoyed tremendous success with turf females, campaigning stalwarts Tepin, the 2015-16 Champion Grass Mare, who banked in excess of $4.4 million, including a score in the 2015 G1 Breeders' Cup Mile and the 2016 Group 1 Queen Anne at Ascot; and Catch a Glimpse, winner of the 2015 G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, who earned Horse of the Year honors in Canada that year.
The veteran conditioner said Got Stormy ranks with the best fillies he's trained.
“I had Tepin and Catch a Glimpse, who were both Breeders' Cup winners. Got Stormy is a multiple Grade 1 winner and a track record holder and she's right up there with those girls,” said Casse.
Casse said he would like to chart a path to send Got Stormy back to the Breeders' Cup which will eventually involve stretching the chestnut mare out again as this year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint will be contested at five furlongs on the Del Mar turf.
Got Stormy did capture the 2019 G1 Matriarch at one-mile on the Del Mar turf.
“It would be nice to win a Breeders' Cup with her,” said Casse. “The Sprint is maybe too short, but she's had luck at Del Mar. Usually, you get a pretty firm turf at Del Mar, so for her to have a shot out there, it would have to be in the Mile.”
Casse said Tyler Gaffalione will maintain the mount aboard Got Stormy against a loaded Jackpocket Jaipur field expected to include Bound For Nowhere (Wesley Ward), Casa Creed (Bill Mott), Fast Boat (Joe Sharp), Gregorian Chant (Phil D'Amato), Greyes Creek (Paulo Lobo), Justaholic (Tom Clark), Oleksandra (Neil Drysdale), Sombeyay (Peter Miller), and Stubbins (Doug O'Neill).
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