Stormy Liberal may run in Eddie D Stakes opening day at Santa Anita

After finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint last Saturday, Stormy Liberal may run in the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes at five furlongs on turf at Santa Anita on Sept. 27, trainer Peter Miller said. The $200,000 Eddie D Stakes is a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 2, a race Stormy Liberal won at Del Mar in 2017 and at Churchill Downs last November. Stormy Liberal was voted champion turf horse of 2018.

“We’re on course for the Breeders’ Cup,” Miller said. “I might look at the Eddie D. In his old age, he doesn’t train as aggressively to get into shape.”

A 7-year-old gelding, Stormy Liberal is winless in five starts this year. He was second in the Grade 3 Joe Hernandez Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Jan. 1 and second in an allowance race at five furlongs on turf at Santa Anita on Feb. 22 before finishing third behind Blue Point in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai on March 30.

Owned by Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen, Stormy Liberal was rested through the spring and finished third in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 17.

In the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint at six furlongs, Stormy Liberal was beaten three lengths by Totally Boss in his first start on the undulating course.

“He bobbled up and down on that course,” Miller said. “He still ran well considering he didn’t handle it.”

The Eddie D Stakes is one of three graded stakes on the opening day of the Santa Anita autumn meeting. There are two Grade 1 races worth $300,000 for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the Sept. 27 program – the Chandelier Stakes for fillies and the American Pharoah Stakes.

In the American Pharoah Stakes, Miller plans to run Nucky, who won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 2. He does not plan to start Wrecking Crew, who was second in the Del Mar Futurity and has subsequently been found to have stomach ulcers, Miller said.

Wrecking Crew will be trained toward a start in the BC Juvenile at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.

“We’ll treat those ulcers and get him 100 percent feeling good,” Miller said. “He was a little low energy. Everything was good on soundness and blood work. We’ll give him an easy week or two

◗ Eight Rings, who ducked toward the rail and unseated jockey Drayden Van Dyke shortly after the start of the Del Mar Futurity, worked a half-mile in 48.80 seconds at Santa Anita on Thursday. A candidate for the American Pharoah Stakes, Eight Rings, trained by Bob Baffert, was the 1-2 favorite in the Del Mar Futurity.”

Pavel being freshened

Pavel, who is winless in five starts this year, including a fourth in the $12 million Dubai World Cup in March, is out of action for the rest of the year.

Trainer Doug O’Neill said Pavel is being rested at owner Paul and Zillah Reddam’s Ocean Breeze Farm in San Diego County.

“We’ll let him down for a little bit and see if we can freshen him for a big 2020 campaign,” O’Neill said.

Pavel was eighth as the 9-2 third choice in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 17. A 5-year-old, Pavel is best known for winning the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs in June 2018.