Stormy Liberal reaffirms fondness for hillside course in Siren Lure
ARCADIA, Calif. - The prospect of having a runner in a prestigious race at Royal Ascot in June is not enough to lure Stormy Liberal out of California.
After Stormy Liberal won his third consecutive stakes on the hillside turf course in Sunday’s $84,130 Siren Lure Stakes at Santa Anita, trainer Peter Miller said the 5-year-old gelding will be staying home in the near future.
“I think I’ll keep him on the hill,” Miller said. “We talking about taking him to Royal Ascot, or doing something different, but he loves the hill.”
Stormy Liberal is likely to run in the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes on the hillside turf course on May 27.
In the Siren Lure, Stormy Liberal was given a confident ride by jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr. Stormy Liberal was third in the field of four on the hillside, challenged for the lead in early stretch, and won by a cozy three-quarters of a length over Ambitious Brew.
Stormy Liberal ($3.60) ran about 6 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:11.88.
Ambitious Brew, who won the Sensational Star Stakes for California-breds on the hillside turf course in February, finished 2 1/2 lengths in front of Eddie Haskell. Coastline was fourth.
Miller entered Richard’s Boy in the Siren Lure, but said he opted to scratch the 5-year-old in favor of a race to be determined. Richard’s Boy, who won the California Cup Sprint here in January, was fifth in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai on March 25.
Stormy Liberal, by Stormy Atlantic, was second in the Grade 2 San Simeon Stakes on the hillside on Dec. 26 and won his next two starts, both on the hillside – the Clocker’s Corner Stakes on Jan. 29 and the Joe Hernandez Stakes on March 4.
Claimed for $40,000 in October, Stormy Liberal has won 6 of 19 starts and earned $342,070. Stormy Liberal has earned $173,200 for Gary Hartunian’s Rockingham Ranch since being claimed.