Do What I Say aims for hat trick in Stormy Blues
Photo by Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club.
From a Maryland Jockey Club release
Unbeaten in two starts since being moved to the turf earlier this spring, R. Larry Johnson’s Do What I Say puts her streak on the line in Saturday’s $100,000 Stormy Blues Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at historic Pimlico Race Course.
The five-furlong Stormy Blues marks the stakes debut for Do What I Say, a bay daughter of multiple stakes winner Street Magician whose victories included the 2007 Hirsch Jacobs (G2), renamed the Chick Lang in 2010, at Pimlico.
Unraced at 2, Do What I Say was second in a 5 ½-furlong maiden claiming event Jan. 11 at Laurel Park, then came back to run third by a neck at the same level and distance March 18.
Trainer Mike Trombetta moved her to the grass and up into maiden special weight company and she responded with a front-running two-length victory April 9, a race where she led by as many as seven lengths at the top of the stretch over a course softened by rain.
In her most recent start, Do What I Say rallied from off the pace to win a five-furlong turf allowance by two lengths on the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) Day program May 20 at Pimlico. Each of her last two victories have come against older horses.
“It’s short rest, yes, but she’s doing well so we’re going to try to make it,” Trombetta said. “She’s done well since she hit the turf, so we’ll see how she does.”
Trombetta said he had not trained Do What I Say over the grass prior to making the surface switch. Her dam, Maryland-bred Not What I Do, was a multiple stakes-placed dirt sprinter that earned more than $180,000.
“It’s one of the things where you try it and if they improve, you stick with it. We just tried it and she did well with it, so we stayed,” he said. “She’s two-for-two on the grass and both of her races have been very good. It’s back a little bit on close rest but that’s life. We’ll give it a try.”
Alex Cintron, aboard for the two turf wins, will ride from outside post 10. All fillies will carry 116 pounds.
Fifth, beaten three lengths, following a troubled trip against older horses in her most recent effort, Lael Stables’ Hidden Treat returns to stakes company in the Stormy Blues. The May 1 race at Laurel was just her fourth career start, third on turf and first since finishing off the board in the one-mile Sweetest Chant (G3) Jan. 30 at Gulfstream Park.
Based with trainer Arnaud Delacour in Fair Hill, Md., the bay Lemon Drop Kid filly shows bullet four- and five-furlong works over the training center’s synthetic surface for the Stormy Blues.
“She’s doing well. She ran OK at Laurel Park against older in the two-other-than but it was not an easy spot, I thought,” Delacour said. “I’m probably going to add blinkers on her because she’s been breezing well with it. That would be an addition, but other than that I’ve been very pleased with how she’s been training.”
Hidden Treat won each of her first two starts, a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight on the Laurel turf last October, and the six-furlong Sandpiper Stakes in December at Delacour’s winter base of Tampa Bay Downs. He stretched her out for the Sweetest Chant where she chased early and was wide late before fading to 11th of 12 horses.
“We tried Gulfstream and the two turns she didn’t really handle it great so we’re back sprinting and I think hopefully she can be competitive in a spot like that,” Delacour said. “She came back a little jammed up from that race and I didn’t really have a good spot for her, so we kind of left her alone, freshened her to get her ready for the spring and summer.”
Forest Boyce has the return call from post 5.
Also entered in the Stormy Blues are Coco As In Chanel, a 2 ½-length maiden winner going five furlongs on turf May 15 at Pimlico; Maryland-bred Daylight Ahead, winner of an optional claiming allowance April 16 at Laurel; recent maiden winners Tap Diva, Tippling Ways and Julerette; German-bred Elegant Supermodel, Group 3-placed in England last year making her U.S. debut in her first start in nearly 12 months; Summer Frock and Ramblin N Gamblin.
