Stormy's Majesty too strong to stop now

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After Stormy’s Majesty won the Grade 3 Discovery last month, trainer Dominic Galluscio wasn’t sure what he wanted to do next with the 3-year-old New York-bred. With limited lucrative opportunities on the horizon, Galluscio was contemplating giving the colt a little break and point for 2011.

But Stormy’s Majesty apparently had other ideas, and on Saturday he will face five rivals in the Grade 3, $100,000 Queens County Stakes over Aqueduct’s inner track. Formerly a handicap, the 105th running of the Queens County, run at 1 3/16 miles, will be contested under allowance conditions.

“We’re going to give it a go because he’s training too good, feeling too good not to run,” Galluscio said.

Stormy’s Majesty has won 5 of 8 starts, and is 2 for 2 over the inner track. Stormy’s Majesty had done his best work against statebred company, but finished last in the Empire Classic on Oct. 23. He bounced back with his victory in the Discovery, a race in which he battled on the lead with favorite Golden Moka before pulling away in the stretch.

“You got to put him in the race, that’s why things didn’t work out in the Empire Classic,” Galluscio said.

If Edgar Prado puts Stormy’s Majesty on the lead, he could find himself dueling with Seniors Pride. On the same day that Stormy’s Majesty won the Discovery, Seniors Pride won the Mad Hatter, an overnight stakes also at 1 1/8 miles. He battled with 4-5 favorite Understatement all the way around the track under David Cohen before prevailing by a nose.

“I told David to go after that horse, and if he got beat so be it,” trainer Michael Tannuzzo said. ”This race should set up differently, hopefully he’ll be able to relax a little more.”

Arson Squad rebounded from two poor efforts in the summer with a sharp off-the-pace victory in the Mighty Forum Stakes, a one-turn mile race at Belmont on Oct. 24. Earlier in the year, Arson Squad won the Grade 3 Skip Away at the Queens County distance of 1 3/16 miles.

The West Virginia-based trainer Jeff Runco won the 2008 Queens County with Researcher and finished second in the race last year with that same horse. Saturday, he brings the improving Pedrolino, who will be making his stakes debut after winning 3 of his last 4 starts, coinciding with the addition of blinkers.

“It looks like the Queens County will be a competitive race, but if we’re going to try a stakes, we think this is the time,” Runco said.

Modern Cowboy and More Than a Reason complete the field.