Manitoba Derby contender Storm Chance with trainer Marvin Buffalo.
by George
Stormello had both speed and courage, with his best performance being a game nose loss to Scat Daddy in the 2007 Fountain of Youth-G1 going the distance of the Manitoba Derby, 1 1/8-miles, as he was just beginning his 3-year-old career.
Stormello passed on his speed to Storm Chance, and his son does appear to be improving heading into the Manitoba Derby. Storm Chance has now compiled a record of 2-2-2 from nine starts and in his most recent race he gave his best going a mile against older horses to finish second.
Owned by Hy Road Stable, who campaigned 2010 Gold Cup winner and champion Cherokee’s Goal, Storm Chance is trained by 46-year-old Marvin Buffalo, who hails from Day Star First Nation in Saskatchewan. Buffalo has been training horses since he was 18. He counts among his biggest wins to date the 2006 Frank Arnason Sire Stakes with Exotic Force and the 2009 Buffalo Stakes with There’s a Place.
Never one to have a large stable, Buffalo grinds out a solid living year after year hoping for the big horse. A Manitoba Derby win would give him just that.
Storm Chance has been first or second at both the first and second call in all nine of his races. There’s no question what his game is. He also appears to be improving, and if he clears to the lead early he could go a long way on the front end.
Can he conjure up the courage his father found in the 2007 Fountain of Youth?
Longshot speed.