Storm Dream starts anew

ELMONT, N.Y. - Storm Dream, a graded stakes winner in 2000, makes her 4-year-old debut Friday in a second-level allowance race, which highlights the final twilight racing program of the season at Belmont Park. First post for the nine-race card is 3:05 p.m.

As a 3-year-old, when she was trained by Phil Johnson, Storm Dream won the Grade 3 Boiling Springs Handicap at the Meadowlands. She faltered thereafter, finishing last in the Noble Damsel Handicap and third in a six-furlong allowance race on dirt last Nov. 3.

When Johnson and owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson, the proprietors of Lael Stable, parted company, Storm Dream was turned over to Christophe Clement. Storm Dream, an Irish-bred daughter of Catrail, came to Clement in late winter and has been training steadily since. She recently breezed a half-mile in 48 seconds around the dogs of Belmont Park's inner turf course.

Storm Dream, who won her maiden by 14 1/4 lengths over this turf course last July, drew post 7 and will be ridden by Jean-Luc Samyn, her regular rider from a year ago.

"She's trained well and is doing well," said Nicholas Bachalard, Clement's assistant. "He just wants to give her a race back. I wouldn't say it's a prep, though; she's ready."

The key to success for Storm Dream may be Samyn's ability to get her to relax. She has run near the pace in the past and this one-mile race appears to have plenty of front-runners in the field.

Storm Dream is one of several horses in the race who are making their first start for a new trainer.

Wood Sprite, a daughter of Woodman, drops into allowance company for Bill Badgett after racing in a pair of dirt stakes in Louisiana for David Carroll. Wood Sprite won the Tiffany Lass Stakes at Fair Grounds before finishing sixth behind Real Cozzy in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks.

In her last start on turf, Wood Sprite came from off the pace to win a maiden race by two lengths. That race was at a mile, the same distance as Friday's feature. Richard Migliore rides from post 6.

Another closer with a chance at a price is Cozzy Corner. A 3-year-old daughter of Cozzene, Cozzy Corner is coming off a last-place finish in the Sands Point, which was rained off the turf and run over a muddy main track. Her last two turf races - an allowance win at Keeneland and a fourth-place finish at this level here - make her a contender in this field. Shaun Bridgmohan, who won a pair of turf races on Wednesday, rides Cozzy Corner from post 3.

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