Runaway Storm squeezes to upset victory in Bryan Station

LEXINGTON, Ky. — In a three-way photo finish, longshot Runaway Storm wore down Santorini on his inside, then held off Talk of the Nation on the outside for a head victory in the Grade 3, $300,000 Bryan Station Stakes for 3-year-olds on the Keeneland turf on Saturday, closing day of the fall meet.

Runaway Storm, with Colby Hernandez in the irons for trainer Ethan West, returned $42.50 for his first career stakes win. Robert Hunt's homebred gelding won two of his first three career starts, but was overlooked on Saturday after finishing third in the Grade 3 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs last out.

“Very nerve-wracking,” said Kentucky-based West, who earned his first graded stakes victory in a career that began in 2018. His only prior stakes win at any level came earlier this year, when Takntothecleaners won the Opelousas Stakes at Evangeline.

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“It was exciting,” West continued. “I wasn’t sure if we had it or not. Everybody kept telling us that we had it, but until they posted No. 6 I wasn’t going to believe it. I was very confident in the horse, actually, even though he was longer odds. He’s been training down here for a few weeks now and had three very solid works going into it.”

Santorini was always forwardly-placed in the Bryan Station, racing as a team with Smokey Mandate in the early going before taking over leaving the backstretch, through the opening half in 47.19 seconds on a turf course officially rated good after intermittent rain.

Runaway Storm, who had been sixth after that half, began to make up ground, and emerged between horses as a threat in the stretch. He lowered his body to wear down Santorini, who continued on gamely on the inside, holding a half-length lead into the final yards. Meanwhile, favored Talk of the Nation, who had saved ground in the pocket all the way around after breaking from the inside, was tipped out for a run, making up ground furiously from fourth in the final yards. The three hit the wire together; officially, the margin was Runaway Storm by a head, with Talk of the Nation getting second by a nose over Santorini.

“He dug in,” Hernandez said. “When the horse on the outside ran up to me, he wasn’t going to let the horse pass. He just dug in.”

The final time for the mile was 1:35.93.

After the top three finishing together, it was 1 3/4 lengths to Smokey Mandate, who held fourth. Dude N Colorado, Gigante, Worthington, and Appraise rounded out the order of finish.

Earlier on the card, the Iowa-bred Glengarry remained unbeaten with his biggest victory yet, holding sway by a half-length in the $200,000 Bowman Mill Stakes for 2-year-olds.

Glengarry ($7.46), who is co-owned and trained by Doug Anderson, was sent away favored in the Bowman Mill on the strength of victories in his first two starts at Prairie Meadows by a combined 18 1/2 lengths, including the Iowa Cradle last out.

Coming to Kentucky to face stronger company, the son of leading freshman sire Maximus Mischief picked up Luis Saez, who gave him a canny ride. Glengarry was away well to the inside of pacesetter Cowes, and responded kindly as Saez ceded the lead to that one through a sharp opening quarter of 22.39 seconds on the main track officially rated good in a light mist. Saez then brought Glengarry outside and he ranged up on the leader around the far turn, wore him down in the stretch to kick clear, and then held off a late charge by Normandy Hero.

“It was a pretty quick decision we had to make," Saez said. "We know this horse has been running on the lead, and he’s fast. Today was a tough race. He broke from there sharp, and we had a little pressure, but we had to make a quick decision and take a little hold. I put him right there outside, and he responded perfectly.”

Valentine Candy was another 3 1/4 lengths behind the top two in third.

The final time for the six furlongs was 1:11.52.

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