Got Stormy Wins Second Fourstardave

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – For the second time in her career, MyRacehorse.com and Spendthrift Farm’s Got Stormy toppled her male rivals to win Saturday’s $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap (G1) at Saratoga.

The Fourstardave is a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” event, with Got Stormy receiving an automatic berth in the Mile at Del Mar this November.

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Got Stormy broke from post 6 under Tyler Gaffalione at 12/1 longshot odds and settled into a stalking position in third as the field passed under the wire for the first time.

Fellow female runner Blowout sprinted to the lead and cut off fellow speedster Whisper Not on her inside to take sole command heading into the clubhouse turn before posting opening fractions of :23.45, :46.69, and 1:10.12.

Got Stormy tipped out three-wide while rounding the far turn and ranged up to challenge for the lead once straightened for home.

The Mark Casse trainee stole control halfway home before drawing off to win the firm inner turf mile route by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:33.09, falling short of the 1:32 flat track record that she set when winning the 2019 running.

“She was taking me the whole way,” said Gaffalione, her regular rider who was already committed to another Casse runner prior to the 2019 Fourstardave and was not aboard for that victory.. “I was able to tuck in and save ground. She relaxed beautifully down the backside. Going into the turn, she started to pick up on her own and she started creeping up. When I put her outside, she unleased a big run and it was all over from there.”

Set Piece‘s 3-race win streak came to a halt when the Juddmonte Farms homebred came flying from last but could only muster second under Florent Geroux.

Casa Creed necked out a fading Blowout for third, while Daddy Is a Legend (the field’s third female entry) and the even-money favorite Raging Bull were each a 1/2-length behind in fifth and sixth, respectively.

Whisper Not and Field Pass completed the order of finish.

Got Stormy’s win was her second of the year following February’s Honey Fox Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park and improved her career record to 30-12-5-3 that includes a 4-3-1-0 mark at Saratoga; she also won the 2019 De La Rose Stakes and finishing second in last year’s Fourstardave.

“This was maybe even more exciting because they wrote her off,” Casse said of his superstar steed who finished fifth in both starts post-Honey Fox. “They did the same to (2015 Champion Turf Female) Tepin, and she came back. I’m really proud. There’s been some bumps along the road with her, but she came when it was time.”

The 6-year-old Get Stormy mare has now bankrolled $2,123,403 lifetime and will target a third appearance at the year-end World Championships after finishing second in the 2019 Mile and fifth in the 2020 Turf Sprint (G1).

“I have to think (about potential races before the Mile),” Casse said. “It’s so difficult with her; there’s things she really likes and things she doesn’t. I took her to Woodbine 2 years ago and she got beat there (second in the Woodbine Mile [G1]). I have to think it over. I have to talk to the owners, so we’ll figure it out.”

Got Stormy returned $27 to win, $8.90 to place, and $5.70 to show. Set Piece brought back $5.60 to place and $3.80 to show. Casa Creed paid $5 to show.