Got Stormy Working Well Ahead Of Title Defense In Fourstardave

Gary Barber’s multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Got Stormy breezed a half-mile in 49 seconds flat Friday on the Oklahoma training turf in her final piece of work for her title defense in the Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave on August 22 at the Spa. The race is a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Mile this fall at Keeneland.

Last year, the 5-year-old Get Stormy mare, trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, became the first filly to win the Grade 1 Fourstardave, in its 35th running, covering one mile over a firm inner turf in a track record 1:32 flat. Got Stormy followed her first Grade 1 score with runner-up efforts in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita before ending her campaign on a high note with a score in the Grade 1 Matriarch at Del Mar.

Winless in four starts this season, including a last-out fourth in the Grade 3 Poker on July 4 at Belmont, Got Stormy has posted four strong works on the Oklahoma training turf.

“The last two works before this we went five-eighths and the one two back was a nice stiff effort in a minute and change [1:00.50] but she came home very fast. Last week we gave her a medium five-eighths and let her come home a little bit,” said assistant trainer Jamie Begg. “This morning, she did a half and came home the last eighth pretty quick. I was happy with the work, she went easy enough and I think she’s going into the race really well.”

Last year, Got Stormy, who prefers firms footing, entered the Fourstardave just one week following a scorching four-length score in the Fasig-Tipton De La Rose. She enters Saturday’s test with nearly seven weeks between starts, but Begg said Got Stormy is ready to fire.

“She’s had a lot of races so we gave her a bit of a break here. The turf was really wet at the end of Belmont and at the beginning of this meet, so we were waiting for this spot,” said Begg. “We know she likes Saratoga. We didn’t give her the prep race like we did here last year but I she’s been working just as good this time around as she was last year.”

The probable field for the Fourstardave includes Casa Creed (Bill Mott), Emmaus (Conor Murphy), Raging Bull (Chad Brown) and Without Parole (Brown).

Cindy M. Hutson and Robert Masterson’s maiden winner Lashara, a British-bred daughter of American Pharoah, worked in company inside of the John Oxley-owned maiden Yes to Mischief, a $400,000 purchase at the OBS March 2019 Two-Year-Olds in Training sale. The duo covered a half-mile in 51.47 on the Oklahoma training turf.

Out of the graded-stakes winning Smart Strike mare Marbre Rose, Lashara graduated at second asking in a one-mile turf maiden in April at Gulfstream and returned June 20 to finish a closing second in a 1 1/16-mile allowance tilt at Belmont.

Last out, Lashara was on the pace in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Lake Placid before fading to seventh. Begg said Lashara will likely turn back in distance next out while seeking a little class relief.

“We thought she was sitting good last time but she didn’t really finish. It might have been a sixteenth too long,” said Begg. “We still think she’s that kind of quality of horse but there’s an allowance coming up – she still has her conditions – and we’ll try to get her some confidence with that and hopefully move on from there to bigger and better things.”

American Diamond, a 2-year-old American Pharoah colt, worked a solo half-mile in 50.76 Friday on the Oklahoma training turf. Out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Causeway Lady, it was the bay’s first turf work following a trio of main track breezes.

Begg said it’s likely American Diamond will debut on turf.

“He’s a nice baby and we’re pretty high on him,” said Begg. “He’s had some dirt works too. He has talent but he looks around a lot and is a little on the green side. Everyone that’s worked him thinks he’s more on the turf side and his pedigree looks that way. It was a pretty good work this morning and he seemed to get over the ground pretty good.”