Casse hasn't lost the faith in Got Stormy

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Mark Casse is well aware people are saying Got Stormy is not the horse she was last year after opening her 2020 campaign with four consecutive losses, including a fourth-place finish earlier this month in the Grade 3 Poker at Belmont Park.

But Casse is not about to give up yet on the two-time Grade 1 winner and runner-up in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Mile, who is being pointed toward a defense of her title in the Fourstardave here Aug. 22.

“Nobody really heard of Got Stormy until around this time last year, until after she won the De La Rose and then the Fourstardave a week later,” Casse said. “What she really needs is firm, hard turf to get a mile. So I’ll believe she’s not as good when I see her get beat on hard turf.”

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Referring to Got Stormy’s second-place finish in last year’s Woodbine Mile, run on good turf, Casse said, “There was definitely give in the ground when she got beat in the Woodbine Mile, and they ran a mile last time in 36 and 1, which is not Belmont.”

Got Stormy put in a rare main-track work here Wednesday, breezing an easy half-mile in 48.10 seconds shortly after 9 a.m. over a track that was sealed and muddy earlier in the morning but upgraded to fast once harrowed during the renovation break.

“I just wanted to do a little something with her today,” Casse said. “She’ll go back to the turf next time.”

Casse also is hoping he can throw out Sir Winston’s last start after the 2019 Belmont winner finished last, nearly 22 lengths behind Tacticus, in the Grade 2 Suburban at Belmont Park. The outing was just the third this season for Sir Winston, who finished second in the Flat Out in his previous try.

“He just never really engaged in the Suburban – I have no idea why,” Casse said. “He’s done that before. He did it once on turf and a few times when younger. He’s fine. We’ll just try to regroup with an easier spot, the Alydar, for his next start.

The Alydar will be run Aug. 9 at Saratoga.

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Casse also reported his promising 2-year-old filly Beautiful Memories is doing well and has gone back to the track after being pulled up by jockey Jose Ortiz as the overwhelming favorite on opening day in the Schuylerville. Casse said Beautiful Memories will probably run Sept. 6 here in the Spinaway.

“She stumbled pretty hard at the start, and Jose thought maybe she hurt herself so he just pulled her up,” Casse said. “Better safe than sorry. She nicked herself up, had a little cut above the knee, but otherwise she’s okay and at the moment we’re planning to aim for the Spinaway. It just goes to show anything can happen in this game. It wasn’t that long ago that Classic Empire took a right-hand turn in the Hopeful. Nothing surprises me. The main thing is she’s fine.”