Taken by the Storm adds blinkers for Hanshin Cup

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Hogy looked tremendous in winning his allowance prep for the Hanshin Cup last summer at Arlington, but in the Hanshin itself, he was dreadful, finishing 12th of 13 at odds of 13-10. In 2013, Hogy had finished sixth in the Shakertown, a Keeneland turf sprint, came into the Hanshin an 8-1 shot, and won it by 1 1/2 lengths.

With a decisive Polytrack-sprint allowance score at Arlington last month, Hogy’s pattern this summer looks more like 2014 than 2013, and he is the 3-1 morning-line favorite to win the Hanshin for the second time. He’ll encounter familiar foes Saturday: Mister Marti Gras and Hammers Terror, second and third behind Hogy in 2013, both are entered in the Grade 3, $100,000, one-turn Polytrack mile. Mister Marti Gras finished second in the race again last summer, too.

So, yes, the Hanshin group has been banging around a while. The race feels ripe for a new player, and Taken by the Storm, who figures to be an appealing price, might be that player.

KEY CONTENDERS

Taken by the Storm (Last 3 Beyers: 74-89-91)

Claimed for $50,000 out of his most recent start by trainer Grant Forster. Forster and the same ownership group in May 2014 claimed Call Me George for $62,500 and in March won the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap with that horse.

Limited synthetic-track experience, but the most recent of this three Polytrack starts, at Turfway, produced a highly encouraging five-length front-running victory. “He’s lightly raced with a lot of upside, and we thought we could try some things with him,” Forster said.

Fast recent works have come since Forster added blinkers, in which Taken by the Storm races for the first time Saturday. Especially with the hood on, Taken by the Storm could prove the clear early speed in the Hanshin. “He’s trained really, really well for us,” said Forster.

Hogy (Last 3 Beyers: 99-83-66)

Came back from a long post-Hanshin layoff in January looking like a diminished version of his old self, but that scuffling form all came on dirt at Oaklawn, and Hogy is a different horse on synthetics. He won impressively here last out, his fifth win from nine Arlington Polytrack races. “He knows his way around Arlington for sure,” said trainer Scott Becker. “He threw a lights-out race, and his two works since have been extraordinary.”

Mister Marti Gras (Last 3 Beyers: 84-90-83)

Experiment in a turf marathon just last weekend produced a one-paced fifth-place finish in the Stars and Stripes Stakes, but trainer Chris Block had wheeling back in the Hanshin in mind all along.

FORMULATOR FACT: In the last five years with horses running back in 10 days or fewer after their previous start, Block is just 7-1-1-0 with a $0.54 return on investment.

Agent Di Nozzo (Last 3 Beyers: 88-93-74)

Appears to fit the race decently and is 7-2 on the morning line, but his lone Arlington start on Polytrack suggested that he doesn’t handle the main track here at all.