Get Stormy , handy winner of Keeneland's Bryan Station Stakes (gr. III) over yielding ground last month, takes on fellow graded winners Florentino and Proceed Bee in the $100,000 Commonwealth Turf (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs Nov. 15.
The 1 1/16-mile event attracted a field of 10 3-year-old colts and geldings, with the Thomas Bush-conditioned Get Stormy drawing the rail. Mary Sullivan's homebred son of Stormy Atlantic is on a three-race winning streak after scoring the first graded victory of his career in the Oct. 18 Bryan Station.
Get Stormy, whose three prior wins all came in front-running fashion, rallied from slightly off the pace to collar Major Marvel mid-stretch en route to a 1 1/2-length victory in the Bryan Station. Get Stormy, who will have Javier Castellano aboard once again, has won four of 11 starts and earned $207,559.
Major Marvel, who outfought Get Stormy for the early lead only to weaken to fourth in his stakes debut for trainer Dale Capuano, also returns in the Commonwealth.
Darley Stable's Japanese-bred Florentino won Churchill's Jefferson Cup (gr. IIT) on the front end over a good turf course June 13, but has raced just twice since. The son of Swept Overboard, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, finished last of nine in the Virginia Derby (gr. IIT) after being bumped at the quarter-pole, and was in tight early when seventh behind the victorious Get Stormy in Saratoga's Lure Stakes Aug. 29.
To be ridden for the first time by Miguel Mena, Florentino will break from post 3. McLaughlin also entered Street Move, who tries graded stakes company for the first time after logging a pair of allowance turf wins in New Jersey in his two most recent starts.
Breaking from the far outside is William Stiritz's Proceed Bee, winner of back-to-back stakes for trainer Scott Becker. The Bernstein gelding registered a 2 1/4-length win in the Hawthorne Derby (gr. IIIT) over soft going in his most recent try Oct. 10.
Regular rider Chris Emigh, who expects to be over the effects of a concussion sustained in a fall at Churchill Nov. 11, has the assignment.
Proceed Bee won the Honor Glide at Arlington Park prior to the Hawthorne Derby and was also victorious in his only start on the Churchill grass. Overall, the Kentucky-bred bay has captured seven of 14 starts and leads the field in earnings with $412,894.
Get Stormy, Florentino and Proceed Bee were each assigned the top weight of 123 pounds.
Quite a Handful missed by a nose to Proceed Bee in the Honor Glide and returned to run third in the Hawthorne Derby, 2 1/2 lengths behind his rival. Trained by Andrew Hansen, Quite a Handful is coming off a runner-up finish in an allowance race on a yielding Keeneland turf course Oct. 25.
Red Dog Stables' Minnesota homebred Perfect Bull gets back on turf after a fifth-place finish in the Oklahoma Derby last time out. Conditioned by Bernell Rhone, the son of Holy Bull has six wins and six seconds from 19 starts. His record includes two wins and two runner-up showings from seven tries on grass.
Presque Isle Downs invader Pop Tarrt steps into stakes company for trainer Joseph Deegan. He'll be making his turf debut after winning three of his past five starts on a synthetic track.
$100,000 Commonwealth Turf Stakes (gr. IIIT, Race 9, 4:37 p.m.), 3-Year-Olds, 1 1/16 Miles
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Get Stormy (KY), J Castellano, 123, T M Bush
2. Pop Tarrt (KY), S Gonzalez, Jr., 119, J Deegan
3. Florentino (JPN), M Mena, 123, K P McLaughlin
4. Street Move (KY), J Bravo, 119, K P McLaughlin
5. Major Marvel (KY), K J Desormeaux, 117, D Capuano
6. Quite a Handful (KY), R Albarado, 117, A M Hansen
7. Grizzled Robert (KY), J L Castanon, 119, H H Robertson
8. Perfect Bull (MN), D P Butler, 119, B B Rhone
9. Spectacular Kid (KY), L R Goncalves, 117, M P Leahy
10. Proceed Bee (KY), C A Emigh, 123, S Becker