NEWS
Storming Saint wins Borderland Derby via disqualification
Posted: Saturday, February 27, 2010 8:51 PM
STORMING SAINT
Lisa Dominguez/Coady Photography
To view the Borderland Derby, click here.
by Mike Curry
Storming Saint earned his first stakes win on Saturday in the $100,000 Borderland Derby after his stablemate Raise the Bridle was disqualified for interference in the Sunland Park stretch.
Storming Saint’s jockey, Luis Contreras, lodged an objection after Raise the Bridle drifted out in the stretch under left-handed urging from Juan Ochoa, bumping several times with Storming Saint in a physical battle to the finish line. Raise the Bridle held off Storming Saint by a neck, completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.27 on a track rated as fast, but stewards ruled he impeded Storming Saint.
Raise the Bridle was disqualified and placed second, elevating Storming Saint to his first stakes win. Henry Dominguez trains the Sweetsouthernsaint colt for owner Lathrop G. Hoffman. Sent off as the 9-to-5 favorite, Storming Saint improved to two wins, one second, and one third from five starts.
"Storming Saint is a really talented horse but a bit of a troublemaker. He's a really good colt,” Dominguez said. “Raise the Bridle also has a lot of talent and is beginning to learn what this game is all about. Both horses will be pointed to the Sunland Derby [(G3) on March 28]."
Storming Saint was bred in Florida by Harold J. Plumley out of the unraced Storm Bird mare Tomisue’s Storm, a half sister to Grade 1 winner and sire Irgun.
The disqualification of Raise the Bridle spoiled what would have been an especially sweet result for co-owners Mark Allen of Double Eagle Ranch and Leonard Blach, D.V.M., of Buena Suerte Equine. Allen and Blach own Mine That Bird, who finished second in last year’s Borderland Derby and went on to win the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) at 50.60-to-1 odds. Instead, Allen and Blach were forced to settle for second again in the Borderland Derby.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
