TurfPublicists: FOURSTARDAVE ADVANCE; for Sunday, August 1, 2010

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Contact: Jon Forbes

GET STORMY LOOKS TO GET BACK ON TRACK IN FOURSTARDAVE

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Get Stormy will try to carry his speed 1 1/16^th miles over the Mellon Turf when he faces a competitive field on Sunday at Saratoga Race Course in the 26^th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Fourstardave.

The Sullimar Stable representative won a pair of races at Saratoga last year, including the Lure Stakes, then followed suit in the autumn with victories in the Grade 3 Bryan Station and Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf in Kentucky. After opening his 4-year-old season with a gate-to-wire, 3 ½-length win in the Elkwood at Monmouth Park, Get Stormy had his six-race winning streak snapped last time out when he faded to fourth as the favorite in the Grade 2 King Edward at Woodbine June 27.

"He was in good form at the time, but in hindsight running him at Woodbine was not a good idea," admitted his trainer, Tom Bush. "The grass was pretty long and pretty soft, and that may not be his best kind of surface."

The King Edward was also contested over a one-turn mile, and Bush believes that placed the son of Stormy Atlantic at a disadvantage.

"I think he certainly prefers two turns as it lets him better take advantage of his speed," said Bush.

Get Stormy, the 7-2 second choice on the morning line, will break from the rail with Javier Castellano aboard.

Whatsthescript, who was bred to 30 mares over the winter, will on Sunday make his second start since being placed back into training.

A three-time graded stakes winner, Whatsthescript raced primarily in Southern California from the fall of 2006 through the 2009 Breeders' Cup. He is winless in eight starts since capturing the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile in August 2008, but did finish third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile in 2008 and in the Grade 2 American Handicap, Grade 1 Eddie Read, and Grade 2 Oak Tree Mile in 2009. Racing for Gary Contessa for the first time in the Battfield at Monmouth Park July 10, he closed along the rail to finish third.

"He's training well and has been a consummate professional," said Contessa, who is the fourth person to have trained the 6-year-old. "He's doing everything right and had a great workout last week [seven furlongs around dogs in 1:26 on the Oklahoma Turf Course July 23]."

Contessa credited Whatsthescript for his versatility and is glad Garrett Gomez – who has ridden the bay four times, including in his Del Mar Mile victory and in his most recent start – will be aboard the son of Royal Applause in the Fourstardave.

"Whatsthescript been close to the pace, and has been last early," said Contessa. "He can be wherever you want him to be. Garrett Gomez knows him well, and it will be his decision."

Whatsthescript drew post position 2 and was installed at 6-1 on the morning line.

Patrick Biancone entered a pair in the Fourstardave – Violon Sacre, who has won stakes in France and the United States, and Nownownow, best-known for winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in 2007 – but only one will start. Julien Leparoux was named to ride both horses, who were tabbed at 8-1 on the morning line as a coupled entry.

Violon Sacre has started twice in the U.S., finishing fourth in an optional claimer at Monmouth May 31 and winning the Battlefield over Whatsthescript on July 10.

"I got him in February and I gave him time to acclimatize," said Biancone. "He was a little short in his first race, but the second time he was completely ready."

Nownownow, who hasn't competed since finishing third in a Gulfstream Park optional claimer in February, is more likely to run in the Fourstardave if the course comes up soft.

"Nownownow likes it when there's some give in the ground," said Biancone. "He had a quarter crack, but he's working well. He may need a race, but I expect him to run well."

The 3-1 morning line favorite is Pinckney Hill, who was denied by just a head when second in the Grade 3 Miami Mile Handicap at Calder in April. Stretched out to 1 ¼ miles in the Grade 1 Manhattan in June, the Angel Penna trainee finished eighth after steadying in the stretch. Cornelio Velasquez, aboard Pinckney Hill in four starts back in 2009, will be reunited with the ridgling.

Also entered in the Fourstardave are recent allowance winners Zifzaf, Cherokee Artist, and Radical Sabbatical; Wesley, runner-up to Cherokee Artist in that allowance; and Public Speaker, second in the Grade 2 Firecracker. Brother Nick and Convocation, both trained by Jimmy Jerkens, are entered for main track only.

The field for the Grade 2 Fourstardave:

Program No.	PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	Odds
1	5	Nownownow (KY)	J R Leparoux	116	P L Biancone	8-1
1a	7	Violon Sacre (KY)	J R Leparoux	116	P L Biancone	8-1
2	1	Get Stormy (KY)	J J Castellano	117	T M Bush	7-2
3	2	Whatsthescript (IRE)	G K Gomez	116	G C Contessa	6-1
4	3	Zifzaf (KY)	C Hill	113	J J Toner	20-1
5	4	Cherokee Artist (KY)	J Rose	115	H G Motion	6-1
6	6	Wesley (KY)	E M Coa	116	Mark Hennig	8-1
7	8	Radical Sabbatical (KY)	J R Velazquez	114	B Tagg	15-1
8	9	Public Speaker (KY)	R J Albarado	116	K G McPeek	9-2
9	10	Pinckney Hill (KY)	A Penna, Jr.	115	C Velasquez	3-1
Also Eligible:
10	11	Brother Nick (KY) (MTO)	No rider	118	J A Jerkens	4-1
11	12	Convocation (KY) (MTO)	No rider	118	J A Jerkens	4-5

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