Elm Drive starts season in Desert Stormer
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ARCADIA, Calif. – Comeback filly Elm Drive begins her campaign as a low-odds standout in the Grade 3 Desert Stormer on Saturday at Santa Anita, where the teetering stakes program for filly-mare sprinters this year ends early.
The Desert Stormer is traditionally run in May or June, but since the race was upgraded to Grade 3 status in 2017, support has waned. Average field size fell to 4.8; the race was not run in 2021.
Santa Anita revised its filly-mare sprint program this winter by eliminating the early season Kalookan Queen Stakes, moving the Grade 3 Las Flores from March to December, and moving the Desert Stormer from June to March. The Desert Stormer is the final scheduled dirt sprint stakes for fillies and mares at the meet. Closing day is June 18.
Five entered the Desert Stormer on Saturday, and Elm Drive looks tough despite a six-month layoff. A graded winner who runs well fresh, Elm Drive’s main rival is late-runner Stella Noir. Others include Dance to the Music, Violent Runner, and Half Past Twelve. The six-furlong Desert Stormer is race 8.
Phil D’Amato, who trains Elm Drive for Little Red Feather Racing, has won with six straight dirt-sprint favorites. Elm Drive has not raced since September, but she should extend the D’Amato chalk streak if she runs as well as she worked Monday – five furlongs in 1:00.40.
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“She’s come back to train really well,” D’Amato said. “Her last couple breezes have been really nice; she had a nice five-eighths [on Monday]. Ramon Vazquez breezed her and thought she was ready to go.”
She usually is ready, when she is fresh. Elm Drive won her career debut by eight lengths as a 2-year-old. She won a minor stakes last year in her return from a five-month layoff. Elm Drive has won 3 of 8 overall, including the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar. She also placed in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. last summer at Los Alamitos.
D’Amato said Elm Drive has dodged the wet-weather track closures.
“She had her breezes timed before the storms, and hopefully she can start her 4-year-old campaign the right way,” D’Amato said.
Stella Noir is the main threat to the likely favorite. Keith Desormeaux trains 5-year-old Stella Noir, whose most recent 10 starts were on turf. She handles dirt. Stella Noir won her career debut on Santa Anita dirt and placed in a stakes race at Los Alamitos before switching surfaces.
Last out, Stella Noir was compromised by strategy. A late-runner, she pressed the pace in a turf sprint and faded. She moves Saturday from an inside post to the outside and is expected to rally from behind under Luis Contreras.
Violent Runner has won 5 of 7 starts. She was claimed for $40,000 last out by trainer Steve Knapp, who also entered comebacker Half Past Twelve. Dance to the Music seeks a return to form in her second start following a long layoff.
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