Bay Storm rides the rail to Incredible Revenge Stakes triumph

Bay Storm thundered up the rail and won the $102,000 Incredible Revenge Stakes by one length on Sunday at Monmouth Park, making all the win money bet on her look smart.

Stuck behind horses after breaking from post 1, Bay Storm got a patient trip under Jaime Rodriguez, who opted to hug the fence into the homestretch and got an electric turn of foot out of his filly when a hole opened along the rail. Bay Storm shot through the gap and quickly hit the front, holding clear late runs from Red Ghost and Honey Pants.

“I had a decision coming out of the turn. Do I go outside or stay inside and wait and be patient?” Rodriguez said. “I decided to wait because most of the time when you do that the rail opens for you. That’s what happened. I had a lot of horse once that hole opened.”

:: DRF Bets members get FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic. Join now!

Red Ghost finished a nose in front of Honey Pants, who had four lengths on tough-trip Cilla, who got into trouble and had to be steadied going into the turn and in midstretch. Cilla’s rider, Daniel Centeno, lodged an objection, dismissed by the stewards, against Paco Lopez on Honey Pants, but Centeno claimed against the wrong rider. It was Red Ghost under Albin Jimenez who came out more than one full path at about the furlong grounds, which forced Lopez, who was coming through a hole between Red Ghost and Cilla, to steer right to avoid clipping heels. Honey Pants lost some momentum, and it was Lopez’s evasive action in response to Jimenez’s actions that created Cilla’s problems. In any case, the result stood.

Illegal Smile, Klayton’s Kandy, and Mac the Pee H Dee – all in the main body of the field – were scratched, as was main-track-only entrant Oddsondustymiller. Bay Storm looked like one of several plausible winners but was bet down to 13-10, paying just $4.60 to win. She was timed in 1:02.29 for 5 1/2 furlongs over a firm turf course.

Four-year-old Bay Storm won the second stakes race of her career while running her record to 9-4-3-1. By Kantharos out of Stormy Regatta, by Midshipman, she’s trained by Jonathan Thomas for Bridlewood Farm. Bay Storm was bred in Kentucky by Candy Meadows.