Perfect Ending in Murray for Storming Home

Storming Home, making his U.S. debut, was slow out of the gate Saturday at Hollywood Park, but at the finish line it didn’t matter.

Under Gary Stevens, Storming Home won the $400,000 Jim Murray Memorial Handicap by two lengths over Denon. The Tin Man, the 19-10 favorite who hadn’t run since mid-February, led until the quarter pole before finishing seventh, ahead of only one horse, in the 1 1/2-mile grass stake.

Storming Home, trained by Neil Drysdale, was next to last after a half mile before Stevens roused him into contention. They moved to the front at the head of the stretch and hit the wire in 2:25 1/5, matching the time that Mashaallah had run in 1994, the fifth year of the race.

Storming Home had five victories and 12 in-the-money finishes in 19 starts in England and Japan, but hadn’t run since a 15th-place finish in the Japan Cup in late November. He paid $7.60 as Saturday’s third choice, earning $240,000. Hollywood Park raised the purse of the Jim Murray, named after the legendary Times columnist, from $75,000 last year to $400,000.

“I worked [Storming Home] the other morning and he had a really nice workout,” Stevens said. “It gave me a lot of confidence. We thought we were going to be laying closer much earlier, but he didn’t break well, which is normal for horses coming from Europe.”

Drysdale said he would map out a plan leading to the $2-million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 25. “This horse came to my barn in December,” Drysdale said, “but he had already proved himself by what he had done over there.”

Drysdale said that Storming Home would probably run next in the $350,000 Charlie Whittingham Memorial Handicap at Hollywood Park on June 14.

In his last start at Hollywood, The Tin Man won the American Handicap last year, but his jockey, Mike Smith, said this is a course his horse doesn’t prefer. “The ground’s a little hard for him,” Smith said. “I think that has a lot to do with it.”

In the race before the American, also at Hollywood, The Tin Man finished ninth in the Bill Shoemaker Mile.

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In other stakes on Saturday’s card, Total Impact, ridden by Smith, notched a two-length victory over Fleetstreet Dancer in the $150,000 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap, and Hombre Rapido ran six furlongs in 1:08 2/5 to win the $200,000 Los Angeles Times Handicap.

Favored Total Impact, running 1 1/16 miles in 1:40 4/5, paid $6.60. Stevens and Drysdale, trying to add to their Jim Murray purse, finished fourth with Sunday Break, the second choice.

Hombre Rapido, trained by John Sadler and ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr., clicked off fractions of :21 2/5 and :43 2/5 and never stopped. Publication finished second, and the favored entry of Disturbingthepeace and Echo Eddie was fourth and fifth, respectively. Hombre Rapido, last in the same stake last year, when it was the Los Angeles Handicap, had a fever after the race and was rested for six months. Since returning, the 6-year-old gelding has three victories and a fourth in four starts.

“I’ve had some fast horses over the years,” Sadler said, “and this horse ranks right up there with all of them.”

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Dynever, making only his fourth start, won the $500,000 Lone Star Derby in Texas and is headed for the Belmont Stakes on June 7. Dynever, running 1 1/8 miles in 1:50 2/5 and paying $2.60 for $2, appeared beaten at the top of the stretch when he was trapped, but jockey Edgar Prado was able to find room for a 1 1/2-length victory over Most Feared, who could also be Belmont-bound. Dynever didn’t make his first career start until Feb. 8, when he finished second, but has reeled off three consecutive victories since then.

Champali, second to Midas Eyes in the Kentucky Derby Trial, will be running in Saturday’s Preakness. According to Pimlico officials an eight-horse field -- Funny Cide, Peace Rules, Indian Express, Senor Swinger, Scrimshaw, Cherokee’s Boy, Alysweep and Champali -- is shaping up, with Kissin Saint, Midway Road and Foufa’s Warrior remaining as possibles.