Stormy Liberal a longshot to three-peat in Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

ARCADIA, Calif. – Stormy Liberal is a two-time defending Breeders’ Cup winner and an Eclipse Award champion, but you’re not hearing him mentioned in the same breath with the legends of the game.

Instead, Stormy Liberal once again will be widely dismissed by horseplayers Saturday at Santa Anita when he tries to win the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint for a third straight time.

“He gets no respect, but he never got any the last two years, either,” trainer Peter Miller said of Stormy Liberal, who won in 2017 at Del Mar at 30-1 and in 2018 at Churchill Downs at 7-1, with the latter triumph helping to make him the year’s turf champion. “But that’s how he likes it and how I like it.”

Truth be told, none of the Turf Sprint starters will get the “respect” a favorite is typically paid. The Daily Racing Form morning-line choice at 4-1 is Eddie Haskell, who has finished ahead of Stormy Liberal in three races this year, while Totally Boss closely follows at 9-2. Stormy Liberal, one of three Miller starters in this five-furlong race, is pegged at 15-1.

Miller, however, believes Stormy Liberal – despite having gone winless in six starts this year – is primed to join Goldikova and Beholder, the only three-time winners in the 35-year history of the Breeders’ Cup. John Velazquez will be aboard from post 6.

“He’s coming up to his best race of the year,” said Miller, who also will saddle Belvoir Bay and Om for this 12th running of the Turf Sprint. “He could’ve won his last race with a better trip, but yeah, it’s all good. We’ll line ’em up Saturday and see who’s best.”

In all, 14 are entered, but only as many as 12 will be permitted to start in the five-furlong race. The first alternate, Girls Know Best, is cross-entered in the first race on the Saturday card, the Sen. Ken Maddy. Double Touch is the second alternate. Scratch time is 8 a.m. Pacific on raceday.

Eddie Haskell, a handy stalking type, has been first or second in seven of eight starts this year, all for local trainer Mark Glatt, who claimed the California-bred gelding for $50,000 in April 2018. Joel Rosario has the mount from post 10.

“He shows up every time and runs his race,” said Glatt. “The post is good, so now we just need Joel to work out the right trip.”

Eddie Haskell, for the record, was named in honor of the smarmy character from the 1950s show “Leave It to Beaver” by his original owner, Paul Reddam.

Totally Boss, one of two starters trained by Rusty Arnold, drew post 1, which could require some deft maneuvering from jockey Jose Ortiz.

“It’s not really where you want to be because he’s a come-from-behind sprinter and he’s going to encounter traffic,” said Arnold. “Jose’s got to figure this one out.”

Arnold also will send out Leinster, who came to divisional prominence this summer by winning the Troy at Saratoga. Tyler Gaffalione rides from post 7.

“Both horses have trained well,” he said. “They’re coming into this the right way. They’ve already beat most of the horses in here, although at distances that were a little farther.”

Since the Turf Sprint was inaugurated in 2008, it has been run at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita six times. But the downhill course has not been used for such races since late March, owing to fallout from the series of equine deaths last winter and spring.

“Five-eighths is a different deal,” said Arnold. “Do I wish it was down the hill like it’s usually been? Yes, but it’s not. I knew how far it was when I entered them.”

Other major players in a very deep lineup include Pure Sensation (post 2, Paco Lopez), a longtime divisional standout approaching the $2 million earnings mark; Imprimis (post 3, Frankie Dettori), a well-traveled Florida-bred whose 109 Beyer Speed Figure from a March victory at Gulfstream Park is the highest this year among the entire field; and the respective one-two finishers four weeks ago in the Belmont Turf Sprint, Final Frontier (post 9, Luis Saez) and Shekky Shabaz (post 4, Irad Ortiz Jr.).

Pure Sensation is trained by Christophe Clement, the highly accomplished Frenchman who came into the weekend seeking his first Breeders’ Cup win. The 8-year-old gray gelding has been in terrific form, having earned triple-digit Beyers in his last three starts.

The Turf Sprint goes as the fifth of 12 Saturday races, with post time set for 12:33 p.m. Pacific. It’s the second of nine straight Breeders’ Cup events and follows the Filly and Mare Sprint.