Gold Cup on horizon for Storm Fighter

ARCADIA, Calif.- The five winners of Saturday’s California Gold Rush stakes for statebreds – Awesome Return, Dancingtothestars, Rovenna, Storm Fighter, and Top Kisser - are likely to appear in graded stakes throughout Southern California in coming months.

None have bigger goals than Storm Fighter, who is considered a candidate for the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 28 by trainer Bruce Headley and his daughter, and assistant trainer, Karen.

Storm Fighter, 4, won his first stakes in the $125,000 Tiznow Stakes for older horses, leading throughout the one-mile race to win by 3 1/2 lengths over 4-5 favorite Rousing Sermon.

Karen Headley said on Sunday that Storm Fighter’s next start may be the $200,000 Californian Stakes, a Grade 2 race over 1 1/8 miles on May 31. The Californian is a prep for the Gold Cup at Santa Anita, which is run over 1 1/4 miles. The races were previously held at Hollywood Park, which closed last December.

“The farther you go, the better,” Karen Headley said of Storm Fighter. “I think he’ll be a fun horse later on.”

Owned by John Mabee’s Golden Eagle Farm Investment, Storm Fighter has won 3 of 7 starts and $159,718. He was seventh in the Santa Anita Derby in April 2013, and given the rest of the year off to mature, Bruce Headley said on Saturday.

Awesome Return won Saturday’s $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes for 3-year-olds over 1 1/8 miles on turf for his first stakes win. Trainer Mike Puype said on Sunday that Awesome Return would be pointed for the $100,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes for California-breds over a mile on turf at Golden Gate Fields on June 8.

This summer, Awesome Return could run in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby over 1 1/8 miles on turf, likely to be run on Labor Day weekend.

“My gut instinct is to go to Golden Gate,” Puype said. “If he’s good enough we could run him in the open stakes program. You don’t rule it out. That’s a bit down the road.”

Awesome Return closed from fifth in a field of eight to win the Snow Chief Stakes by three-quarters of a length over Patriots Rule. Awesome Return races for breeder Richard Kritzski, and has won 2 of 6 starts and $201,108.

Rovenna won her third consecutive race in the $250,000 Melair Stakes for 3-year-old fillies over 1 1/16 miles. Rovenna, the 2-1 favorite, closed from fourth in a field of seven to take the lead in early stretch. She held off a sustained threat from 23-1 Wonderful Lie to win by a neck.

The win earned Rovenna a vacation at a local farm, trainer Mike Machowsky said.

“I’ll give her 10 days off,” he said.

Rovenna could start in the $200,000 Summertime Oaks, a Grade 2 for 3-year-old fillies over 1 1/16 miles on June 21. The race was formerly run as the Hollywood Oaks.

“It’s so important for a filly to get a graded stakes placing,” Machowsky said.

Machowsky said the $200,000 Fleet Treat Stakes for California-bred 3-year-old fillies at Del Mar is another goal. The Del Mar summer meeting runs from July 17 to Sept. 3.

Rovenna races for breeder Don Dizney. A winner of 4 of 9 starts, Rovenna has earned $397,760. Her winning streak includes an optional claimer on Feb. 17, and the $200,000 Evening Jewel Stakes for California-bred 3-year-old fillies over 6 1/2 furlongs on April 5.

“She was tired coming back after three weeks,” Machowsky said on Sunday.

Dancingtothestars won her second stakes of 2014 in Saturday’s $98,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes for fillies and mares over a mile on turf. In January, Dancingtothestars won the minor Megahertz Stakes over a mile on turf against open company.

Dancingtothestars won the Fran’s Valentine by 3 1/2 lengths over Unusual Hottie in a race with four runners.

Trainer Doug O’Neill said on Sunday that Dancingtothestars has the $200,000 Royal Heroine Stakes, a Grade 2 for fillies and mares over a mile on turf on June 28 as a goal. Dancingtothestars could start in the $75,000 Mizdirection Stakes on the hillside turf course on May 25 as a prep race.

Dancingtothestars is owned by Ren-Mar Thoroughbreds. A 6-year-old mare, Dancing tothestars has won 7 of 23 starts and earned $473,122.

Top Kisser’s win in the $125,750 Spring Fever Stakes for fillies and mares over six furlongs was her first start since a seventh in the Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar last July. She spent several months in late 2013 resting at owner Tom and Debbie Stull’s Tommy Town Thoroughbreds.

Top Kisser has won around two turns on turf four times. One option for her summer campaign could be the $200,000 Great Lady M Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs at Los Alamitos in mid-July, a race formerly run at Hollywood Park as the Grade 2 A Gleam Stakes.

Top Kisser, trainer by Jerry Hollendorfer, has won 5 of 9 starts and earned $265,550.