When Storm Dream, making her first start for Hall of Fame trainer P.G. Johnson after being imported from Ireland, broke her maiden July 13 at Belmont Park by 141/4 lengths going a mile on turf in a sizzling 1:34.2, everyone knew it was just a matter of time before the 3-year-old filly won a stakes.
After all, Storm Dream had been beaten a nose last May in a listed race at Ireland, then finished a solid third in the classic Irish 1,000 Guineas.
But making her second U.S. start in the Aug. 21 Lake Placid Handicap at Saratoga, Storm Dream ran into a buzzsaw named Gaviola, one of the best grass fillies in the nation, and settled for fourth.
Then two weeks later Storm Dream reaffirmed her maiden victory, taking the Grade 3 Boiling Springs on turf at The Meadowlands by 5½ lengths.
Today, the Irish-bred daughter of Catrail (by Storm Cat) should make it two straight as the favorite in the $100,000, Grade 3 Noble Damsel at a flat mile over Belmont’s Widener turf course.
“I think the mile suits her perfectly,” Johnson said. “She ran really big in the Boiling Springs. She’s done everything we’ve wanted her to do.”
Today, Belmont also offers simulcast wagering on the Grade 1, $500,000 Super Derby from Louisiana Downs, with a field of six 3-year-olds going a mile and a quarter.
Over the years the Super Derby has served as a useful prep for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and a pair of out-of-state invaders – Commendable and Tiznow – are hoping to punch their tickets to Louisville for the Nov. 4 main event.
Commendable shocked the racing world winning this year’s Belmont Stakes at 18-1 for trainer D. Wayne Lukas. The Belmont was just the second win of his career and followed six straight losses in which he failed to hit the board.
But after finishing last in the Dwyer and next-to-last in the Haskell, Commendable showed his Belmont victory wasn’t a total fluke by running third in the Travers. Since then he’s been training well at Churchill Downs. Pat Day rides.
The late-developing Tiznow has come to hand quickly racing in southern California after making his belated debut in April. He went straight from his 81/2-length maiden victory to take the Grade 3 Affirmed Handicap July 1 at Hollywood Park and since then has run second in a pair of Grade 1’s, the Swaps at Hollywood and the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Chris McCarron has the mount.
The potential upset horse in the Super Derby is Chris’s Bad Boy, who is coming off a 61/2-length score at Louisiana Downs in the mile and an eighth Prevue, a prep for the Super Derby.
