Morales fills in nicely aboard Attila's Storm in Fall Highweight

There were several things that Richard Schosberg, the trainer of Attila's Storm, didn't like entering Thursday's at Aqueduct. He was unhappy with the 126-pound weight assignment from racing secretary P.J. Campo and the rail post position.

Then a few hours before post time, Schosberg received a phone call from his jockey, Ramon Dominguez, who was standing outside his car stuck in traffic on the Goethals Bridge, saying he was unable to make it to Aqueduct to ride.

But after the race, Schosberg was all smiles as Attila's Storm, under a poised 17-year-old Pablo Morales, showed equal measures of grit and talent in winning the $112,500 Fall Highweight by a neck over Voodoo before a Thanksgiving Day crowd of 3,117. It was another neck back to Super Fuse in third.

Attila's Storm, the 3-1 favorite based on his fourth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, broke on top from the rail, but was soon overtaken by All Hail Stormy. Those two dueled heads apart through fractions of 22.00 seconds and 44.82 for a half-mile. Turning for home, Attila's Storm was inside a host of challengers, but Morales patiently waited to ask his horse for run. When he did, Attila's Storm responded and outkicked the 6-year-old Voodoo to the wire.

Attila's Storm ($8), a son of Forest Wildcat owned by Barry Schwartz and the Wachtel and Double S stables, covered the six furlongs in 1:09.30.

Schosberg said he told Morales that while Attila's Storm has plenty of speed, he could stalk if need be.

"The horse is an incredibly game young horse and I think he has got an incredible future," Schosberg said. "He showed a lot of gameness and the jock showed a lot of class and a lot of patience."

Schosberg said Attila's Storm would ship to Santa Anita for the Grade 1 Malibu on Dec. 26.