Co-Favorites Torch The Flame & A Case In Point Finish One, Two

This past weekend saw the running of the mile long Grade II Storm Dog Stakes. A field of nine had drawn into the race for three year old fillies over the turf. The excited crowd watched in anticipation as the nine fillies loaded easily into the starting gates, waiting for the gates to spring open and the horses to move out onto the track.

When the bell sounded it was Hammerjack, owned by li3 out to an early lead by one and three-fourth lengths over elite2 owned and trained The Ascent (IRE). Running behind in third was one of the co-favorites in the race, A Case In Point, owned by goodtimes. Running along in fourth and fifth was Classic Wood Cup and other co-favorite Torch The Flame owned and trained by judgefarms and super7 respectively. Trailing the field early on six and a half lengths back was lenny10 owned and trained Risk Of Ruin.

Hammerjack lengthened her lead to three and one-fourth lengths, no leading over A Case In Point who was now running in second with The Ascent (IRE) already dropping back in the field. Torch The Flame had began to make her move early and was now in fourth with Classic Wood Cup dropping to fifth. Still trailing the pack, now back by nine and three-fourths lengths was Risk Of Ruin.

The field came into the turn and Hammerjack was beginning to lose some ground, now only a length and one-fourth ahead of the fast-charging co-favorite Torch The Flame. In third was the other co-favorite A Case In Point, running nearly alongside. larkin trained Full Future had come from mid-pack and was now moving ahead in fourth along with mid-pack runner Hurricane Occy (NZ), who was owned and trained by warbred1. Classic Wood Cup was now losing ground and had dropped back to sixth with The Ascent (IRE) fading into seventh. Risk Of Ruin was beginning to make her move from the back of the field and was now gaining in eighth, putting longshot Pro’s Song, trained by mardigras eight lengths back in ninth.

Finally the field was turning for home and it was a battle of wills and speed between the co-favorites Torch The Flame and A Case In Point, the rest of the horses just a little over a length back and still in challenging position. Then the field came to the wire and it was a last minute charge by Torch The Flame to get in front and win the Storm Dog Stakes by a length and a half over rival A Case In Point who settled for second. Coming along in third was late-charger Hurricane Occy (NZ).

Also Rans include: Hammerjack, Risk Of Ruin, Full Future, Classic Wood Cup, Pro’s Song, and The Ascent (IRE) rounding out the field.