Hush of a Storm romping on the lush turf. (Susie Raisher)
By Mary Eddy
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Sanford Goldfarb’s Hush of a Storm pounced from off the pace under Flavien Prat to score in Friday’s $125,000 Ashley T. Cole, a nine-furlong inner turf route for New York-breds 3-years-old and up, at Belmont at the Big A.
Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the 6-year-old son of Creative Cause notched his second lifetime stakes win and first on the turf after winning the John Battaglia Memorial as a sophomore over the Turfway Park Tapeta. He entered from a third-place finish over that footing in the one-mile and 70-yard Avery Whisman Memorial on August 12 at Presque Isle Downs, finishing 2 3/4 lengths back of the victorious and next-out Presque Isle Mile-winner Forever Souper.
Goldfarb, who claimed Hush of a Storm for $45,000 out of a deep-closing optional claiming win on July 21 at Saratoga Race Course, said the consistent gelding was well worth the price.
“We were looking for a good one to claim. I thought he could run here or take him to Turfway if we had to,” Goldfarb explained. “I thought he was worth the money at that level. The day we claimed him, he won like, ‘wow.’ Since we’ve had him, they’ve done nothing but rave about him.
“He ran at Presque Isle the other day and the horse that beat him came back and won, so we knew he was good in here and the mile and an eighth might make the difference,” Goldfarb added. “So far, just about everything I’ve got with Brad has done unbelievable.”
In the Cole, Hush of a Storm emerged from post 4-of-7 and settled near the back of the pack as Saratoga Flash showed speed to his outside and led the field out of the infield chute and through the wire for the first time to mark an opening quarter-mile in 23.61 seconds over the firm footing with Cable Ready applying mild pressure to his inside.
The field straightened into the backstretch and Irad Ortiz, Jr. asked Jerry the Nipper to range up into second position while a patient Prat held Hush of a Storm at the rear of the field along the inside. Saratoga Flash marked the half-mile in 50.26 and Dylan Davis coaxed Dakota Gold to pick it up from last and range into contention widest of all to the outside of post-time favorite City Man heading into the final turn.
Dakota Gold was three-wide and full of run after three-quarters in 1:15.82 with Saratoga Flash clinging to a precarious lead and Jerry the Nipper bearing down in between rivals, leaving Hall of Famer Joel Rosario with no choice but to angle City Man inside for his bid for the front alongside the tiring Cable Ready.
The heated battle continued to the eighth pole, but the quintet of contenders quickly came under threat from Hush of a Storm after Prat had tipped out and unleashed his charge exiting the turn. It appeared to be anyone’s race with one-mile elapsed in 1:39.52, but Hush of a Storm’s momentum proved superior in the final sixteenth as he inched clear of the head-and-head duo of Dakota Gold and Jerry the Nipper to claim the half-length victory in a final time of 1:51.03.
Dakota Gold got his head down for second over Jerry the Nipper with City Man settling for fourth. Saratoga Flash, Cable Ready and Kaz Sugar Bank, who was briefly involved on the backstretch, completed the order of finish. Main track-only entrants Pandagate, Olympic Dreams, and Cicciobello were scratched.
Prat, who was aboard for the July optional claiming win, said Hush of a Storm persevered despite a mid-race change in tempo.
“He jumped well. I was going to try to get myself into a good position, but it felt like the first quarter was quite fast,” Prat said. “But then on the backside, they really hit the brakes, so I was a bit worried, but no, I turned for home, I tipped him out and he laid it down for me.”
Dustin Dugas, Cox’s Belmont Park assistant, said Prat executed a perfectly-timed ride.
“It was a very patient trip. Down the backside he was on the rail and it looked like he was a little boxed in, but Flavien being Flavien, he worked out a great trip,” Dugas said. “The horse really fired and kicked on well for him. He’s a really cool horse and since we’ve claimed him, he’s been a really solid, cool guy.”
Goldfarb added Hush of a Storm will now likely target the1 1/16-mile $200,000 Mohawk against fellow state-breds on October 27 here.
Bred by Berkshire Stud, Hush of a Storm banked $68,750 in victory while improving his record to 28-9-3-7. He returned $8.50 on a $2 win ticket.
Live racing resumes Saturday at the Big A with a loaded 12-race card that features four graded stakes in the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic [Race 6], Grade 2, $400,000 Woodward [Race 4], Grade 2, $200,000 Pilgrim [Race 11] – a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf – and the Grade 3, $250,000 Vosburgh [Race 9] – a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.
America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.
