Turfway: Three in row for Hot Storm

Hot Storm easily notched her third straight victory by drawing clear for a 2 3/4-length win in the $43,500 Holiday Inaugural, the first of five stakes at the holiday meet at Turfway Park.

Ridden by Jesus Castanon, Hot Storm returned $3.60 as the heavy favorite after finishing six furlongs in 1:11.60 over Turfway's weather-resistant Polytrack surface. Dewey's Trick, who led most of the way before being overtaken at the top of the stretch, finshed second, another three lengths before Mocha Queen in a field of nine fillies and mares.

Leading into the Holiday Inaugural, Hot Storm won the Weekend Delight at Turfway in September and an allowance last month at Churchill Downs.

Dallas Stewart trains Hot Storm, a Florida-bred 3-year-old filly, for owner Bob Adams.

"We will probably run her in the Sunshine Millions again at Santa Anita," said Stewart, who already has shipped most of his top horses from Kentucky to Gulfstream Park.

Hot Storm defeated 3-year-olds when upsetting the Sunshine Millions Oaks at 21-1 at Santa Anita last January. This time around, she would run in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint.

The victory was the second in the Holiday Inaugural for Stewart. His previous triumph came in 1998 with Freddie Frisson, who eventually became the dam of First Samurai.