Stormy Liberal makes it three wins in a row

The 6-year-old gelding Stormy Liberal earned his third straight victory Sept. 28 when he edged stablemate Conquest Tsunami by a head in the $101,380 Eddie D Stakes, the opening-day feature of Santa Anita's fall season.

Stormy Liberal and Conquest Tsunami are both based in Bonsall at the San Luis Rey Training Center. They are conditioned by top trainer Peter Miller.

The Eddie D Stakes was contested at about 6 1/2 furlongs down Santa Anita's famed hillside turf course, and Conquest Tsunami and Stormy Liberal raced one-two through most of the race.

Stormy Liberal, ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, finally reeled in Conquest Tsunami and jockey Flavien Prat in the final strides to earn the winner's check of $60,000. Caribou Club finished third.

Stormy Liberal nearly set a course record in winning the Eddie D as he stopped the timer in 1:10.93, which was just two tenths of a second off the course mark.

"Both horses ran great," said Miller. "When they crossed the dirt (track), I thought Flavien might be gone. But 'Stormy,' he's got so much heart, he just shows up."

Stormy Liberal was coming off a pair of wins in five-furlong turf dashes at Del Mar's summer meeting. He won both of those races by a nose under Van Dyke.

"He knows where the wire is, for sure," said Van Dyke, who is 3-for-3 aboard Stormy Liberal.

Stormy Liberal was the 2-1 favorite in the Eddie D and paid $6.40 after registering his 11th victory in 29 career starts. The Kentucky-bred son of Stormy Atlantic has notched eight of his wins on the hillside course in Arcadia.

Stormy Liberal, who has $1,368,930 in earnings, scored the biggest victory of his career last year when he captured the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar. He and Conquest Tsunami are both being pointed to this year's Breeders' Cup, which will be held Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.