Raging Torrent Once Again Unstoppable, Turns Back Fierceness

After his standout victory in the GI Malibu S. and eye-catching performance in the G2 Godolphin Mile at Meydan in Dubai, Raging Torrent added another major prize to his résumé with a win in the prestigious GI Metropolitan Handicap

Raging Torrent proved uncatchable on the front end / ADAM COGLIANESE / NYRA

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (Special for Turf Diario).- Following a powerful Middle Eastern raid in April that culminated in a resounding score in the G2 Godolphin Mile, Raging Torrent made a seamless return to U.S. soil, proving once again he's a force to be reckoned with. Racing in the silks of Yuesheng Zhang and Craig Dado, the 4-year-old son of Maximus Mischief went wire to wire to capture Saturday’s prestigious GI Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan H. going a one-turn mile out of the Wilson Chute at Saratoga, part of the marquee Belmont Stakes Day program.

With the win, Raging Torrent earned an automatic berth into the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar this November as part of the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series.

Trained by Doug O’Neill, the dark bay faced a compact but ultra-classy field that included champion Fierceness (City of Light), last year’s GI Travers S. winner, and White Abarrio (Race Day), the reigning GI Breeders’ Cup Classic hero. This marked Raging Torrent’s sixth win from his last seven starts, having previously landed the GI Malibu S. at Santa Anita in December.

“I never imagined winning a race like the Met Mile—it always seemed out of reach,” said O’Neill. “But a horse like Raging Torrent is a once-in-a-lifetime type. He’s got speed, stamina, and class. He travels well. It’s just an incredible feeling.”

“He came out of the Malibu in great shape, so we gave him a break and pointed directly to the Godolphin Mile,” O’Neill continued. “Usually when you make plans in this game, God laughs. But this horse—he sticks to the script. He’s just different.”

Breaking from the outside post 5 under Frankie Dettori, Raging Torrent quickly crossed over and cleared the field, taking control while drifting toward the rail, with Fierceness tracking from the inside through an opening quarter in :23.92 over a sealed, muddy surface.

Down the backstretch, White Abarrio began to lose touch as Just a Touch (Justify) and Castle Chaos (Palace Malice) trailed in single file. Approaching the turn, with a half in :46.86, Fierceness mounted his challenge, drawing on even terms with the leader as John Velazquez urged him forward.

The two Grade I winners looked poised for a stretch duel, but Raging Torrent had other plans. Responding when Dettori gave him his cue, he spurted clear again at the top of the lane and quickly opened up. He completed seven furlongs in 1:22.63 and extended his margin late to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:35.89.

Fierceness held second by 2 1/4 lengths over Just a Touch, while White Abarrio—in his third attempt at the Met Mile—flattened out in fourth. Castle Chaos completed the order of finish.

Dettori, who has now partnered Raging Torrent to victories in the Malibu, Godolphin Mile, and Met Mile, praised Velazquez’s tactics and his mount’s resolve:

“I knew I’d get to the bend first, so from there it was about conserving his energy,” said the Italian Hall of Famer, earning his first Met Mile win. “Johnny made a bold move at the five-eighths and forced the issue, but once we hit the turn, I left it up to the gods. Raging Torrent showed tremendous determination down the lane.”

“What a horse he’s been for me—Malibu, Dubai, now this,” Dettori added. “We faced the best of the best today and came out on top. Full credit to Doug and his team. I had a feeling this would be a special one—and it was.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who conditions Fierceness, had voiced some pre-race concerns about the Wilson Chute, particularly for his juvenile champion, who bumped the gate at the break and had to be used early to secure position from the rail.

“Johnny said he handled the track well,” Pletcher explained. “But the first sixteenth was a bit rough. He had to hustle him to get that spot, and there was some bumping, which made him a little keener than we wanted.”

A winner of the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile with Goldencents (Into Mischief), O’Neill said this year’s edition is the long-term target for Raging Torrent.

“If he comes out of this well, the Dirt Mile is the logical spot, maybe with a race in between,” said the trainer, who is nearing the 3,000-win milestone. “He’ll ship back to California on Tuesday and we’ll go from there.”

Bred in Kentucky by Rodney J. Winkler and Alfonso Mazzetti, Raging Torrent has now earned $1,797,400, multiplying nearly 24-fold his $75,000 price tag from the 2023 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Saturday’s win was worth $550,000 and he returned $18.00 to win.