Hurricane Dream headed back to stakes after salty allowance win

LEXINGTON, Ky. – European import Hurricane Dream will be headed back to stakes company after a 4 1/2-length victory in a $140,000 turf race Friday at Keeneland that was an allowance race in name only.

“I thought it was not that different from a Grade 3, you know?” said Graham Motion, who trains the gelding for Team Valor, et al.

The field of 11 starters in the allowance included graded/group stakes winners Duke of Hazzard, Eons, Fancy Liquor, Henley’s Joy, and Tiz the Bomb, and stakes winners Beatbox, Camp Hope, Hozier, and Kentucky Ghost. Hurricane Dream and Frankie Dettori were fifth in that group near the five-sixteenths pole before unleashing a sparkling kick on the outside to draw clear, earning a 97 Beyer Speed Figure.

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This was the second start in the United States for the 6-year-old Hurricane Cat gelding, who was a Group 3-placed stakes winner in his native France, and was Group 2-placed in Germany last year. In his first start in the United States for Motion, Hurricane Dream was 10th, but beaten only four lengths total, in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf in January at Gulfstream.

“Obviously, I like him a lot – I wouldn’t have taken a shot in the Pegasus if I didn’t like him,” Motion said. “I think it was a bit too much too soon for him. He’s done really well since, and this was just a perfect spot on opening day for him – kind of a good confidence booster.”

The Grade 3, $200,000 Dinner Party Stakes on the May 20 Preakness undercard at Pimlico is among the races that will be considered for Hurricane Dream, who is a virtual certainty to step back up to stakes.

“We’ll probably have to, because it’s pretty limited to find races like this,” Motion said.

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