Amidst Waves faces full field of fillies for Stormy Blues Stakes

Amidst Waves heads a full field of 3-year-old fillies in Sunday’s $100,000 Stormy Blues Stakes racing 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Laurel Park.

Trained by George Weaver, Amidst Waves was purchased after graduating in her second start, and immediately reeled off two stakes victories at Monmouth and Saratoga.

Amidst Waves faced males in her final two starts last year, including a 10th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. She kicked off her 2024 campaign with a solid third in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly at Aqueduct on May 12.

Toupie looked good winning Aqueduct’s Stewart Manor last fall. Stakes-placed on dirt in her next outing, she returned to her preferred surface with a runner-up effort in her seasonal debut, Churchill’s Mamzelle on May 11.

“We wanted to give her some time after the Tampa race and just freshen her up,” trainer Graham Motion told track publicity. “I planned to run her at Keeneland, but it came off the grass, so we waited for the Churchill race. She ran super. She’s better this year. I really like her.”

Trainer Arnaud Delacour entered two fillies. Independenceavenue finished a nose behind Amidst Waves when fourth in the Soaring Softly. Her last victory came routing at Tampa Bay, but Delacour believes she’s a sprinter at heart.

“She won going two turns in softer company, and also she had a very easy lead,” Delacour said on Friday morning. “She has so much natural speed that anywhere between five to six furlongs, she should be very efficient.”

Shuangxi has hit the board twice since being imported from England, including a narrow victory in a first-level allowance at Monmouth on May 18.

“She’s done nothing wrong,” Delacour said. “She has good tactical speed. It’s a good time to take a shot at the stakes level.”

The pace should be hot with El Terreno, Concerti, and Miss Harriett all likely to show speed.

El Terreno won her first two starts by a combined 15 1/4 lengths over Gulfstream’s Tapeta, and was then eased in the Melody of Colors on March 24. Scratched from the Soaring Softly due to the less-than-firm course, she makes her turf debut Sunday.

That scenario should help late-kickers such as Discreet Ops and Cap Classique, third and fourth, respectively, in Pimlico’s Grade 3 Miss Preakness on dirt.

Discreet Ops, a runaway debut winner at long odds, missed time afterward due to a leg infection. The Stormy Blues will be her turf debut, but she worked a bullet half-mile on grass two weeks ago.

“She did it nice and easy,” trainer Ben Feliciano said. “I was pleased.”

Cap Classique has already won on turf, grabbing her debut at Colonial Downs. Subsequently stakes-placed on dirt, she rallied belatedly in the Miss Preakness.

Carmelina returns to turf after finishing off the board in a pair of graded stakes.

“I’m not wild about [post position 14],” said trainer Butch Reid. “Her family really calls for [turf]. She deserves another try.”

Parola Sicura, Roanan Goddess, Low Mileage, and My Girl Ginger are also entered, and Caress goes as a main-track-only entrant.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.