Dr. Tony Ryan’s Castleton Lyons has purchased Argentine dual group I winner Storm Military, and is sending him to trainer Bobby Frankel to begin a North American racing career. Four-year-old Storm Military is by Bernstein, who stands at Castleton Lyons. Ryan has stated he is interested in racing about 10 Bernstein 2-year-olds he owns this year in an attempt to help make the stallion, who shuttles to South America. His private purchase of Storm Military represents another avenue toward that goal. Bernstein has sired other Argentine group I victors Stormy Kiss, Storm Mayor, and Stormy Nimble.
“He is a sound, solid colt,” noted Ryan, who closed on the purchase Feb. 13.
Storm Military, out of the Shy Tom mare Shy Mandona, has won six times in nine lifetime starts. His last two efforts, Dec. 16 and Feb. 11, both resulted in group I victories, first in the one-mile Joaquin S. de Anchorena, then in the 10-furlong Miguel A. Martinez de Hoz. Both of those efforts came over turf, but Storm Military is a winner and group I-placed on dirt as well, having taken two of three starts over the main track. He was bred and was owned by La Biznaga.
Frankel said that the usual acclimation time for horses coming from South America is four-to-six months before racing, but added that because Storm Military was an older horse who has raced recently, the transition to North American racing is more likely to go smoothly.