Saratoga: Get Stormy looks healthy for Bernard Baruch

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Multiple Grade 1 winner Get Stormy gave all appearances Friday morning that he is over a minor physical issue that forced him to miss last month’s Fourstardave Handicap, and he now appears on course to return in the Grade 2, $200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap here at Saratoga on Aug. 26.

Friday morning, Get Stormy worked five furlongs in 1:02.01 over the Oklahoma turf course, getting his last quarter in a sharp 23.33 seconds under jockey Ramon Dominguez. Allowed to work at 8:45 a.m. – 90 minutes before the usual crush of turf workers – Get Stormy went his first quarter in 26.00 seconds and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.45.

“He worked about what we wanted,’’ trainer Tom Bush said. “I wanted to get him emptied out just a little bit and then come back next Friday and do something pretty strong.’’

“Excellent,’’ Dominguez told Bush on his way off the track. “Beautiful.’’

There was an anxious moment before the work as a loose horse ran off the gap on the Oklahoma training track just as Get Stormy was walking on. Get Stormy wheeled around and knocked his handler to the ground. He got back up uninjured.

Friday’s work came two weeks after Bush noticed something amiss on the outside of the tendon on Get Stormy’s right foreleg. That forced Bush to pull Get Stormy’s name out of the entry box before post positions were drawn for the Fourstardave. An ultrasound on the area revealed no significant problem.

Get Stormy jogged for about five days and galloped for several days before Friday’s breeze, Bush said.

Get Stormy, who won last year’s Bernard Baruch, won the Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland and Turf Classic at Churchill Downs this year before finishing third to Teaks North in the Monmouth Stakes on June 12.

“He’s run off a layoff before and run exceptionally well, so hopefully he can do that again, but he does have to go a mile and an eighth,’’ Bush said.