by Jeff Renton, media/communications, Woodbine Entertainment Group

Toronto, ON — He turned many heads as a 3-year-old, and now Stormaway is set to return to action Saturday evening (Jan. 13) at Woodbine in the C$40,000 opening leg of the Willowdale Series.

The Willowdale, for 4-year-old pacers, will have its C$40,000 second leg take place on January 13, while the C$59,600 (estimated) final will be conducted on January 27.

WEG Photo

Stormaway earned nearly $300,000 in ’06.

The son of Northern Luck went unraced at two and made 20 starts at three, notching 13 wins, a pair of second-place finishes and a lone third, good for $290,357 in purses.

But after being out of the box for nearly four months, trainer Dan Megens is looking forward to having his big horse back on track.

“After racing in the (O.S.S.) Super Finals (Oct. 14), I sent him to my friend Duncan Buist and he was turned out for about seven hours a day,” said Megens, who co-owns Stormaway along with Janice Van Nest and Peter Caetano. “He’s a pretty nice stud, so I had him out with my yearling Cambest colt and they got along pretty well.”

In the past few weeks, Megens has qualified the bay horse twice over Flamboro. The first ‘qually’ came on December 30 — a 6-1/2 length tally in 1:56.2 — and the second on January 8, where Stormaway was 13 lengths the best in a 1:56.3 mile over a track rated ‘good’ and one second slow.

“When he qualified the first time, the track was a little loose and I’d say it was about one second off,” said Megens, a 47-year-old resident of Hamilton, Ontario. “The second time I qualified him I thought the track was sloppy.”

On March 5, 2006, Stormaway turned heads at Woodbine when he jetted to an 11-1/4 length victory in 1:53.2 in a conditioned maiden event. That was really the beginning of a serious campaign for the bay, who would go on to notch both four- and seven-race win streaks, capture the Youthful Series, his division of the (O.S.S.) Spring Series, three O.S.S. Gold Eliminations and a Final.

Looking forward to Stormaway’s 4-year-old season, Megens doesn’t believe that last year’s long and arduous campaign will harbor any lingering effects into his 2007 performances.

“I don’t think so. He’s a pretty tough horse with a tough constitution to him,” said Megens, who also noted that a few untimely bugs really hampered his star student from shinning when the time was right. “I wasn’t upset with him, but I was upset with the circumstances surrounding his last two races last season (O.S.S. Gold Final and Super Final). He had come down with a sinus infection and was a bit flat. Although, it seems like everything has cleared up now.”

Mapping out a new course for Stormaway in 2007, Megens stated that nothing is set in stone.

“In regards to his year, I’m going to play it by ear, but I think I’m going to pick my spots with him. The only things that I’ve made him eligible to so far is this series and the Aquarius down at the Meadowlands.”

The complete field for the Willowdale’s opening leg is listed below.

Willowdale — Leg #1 — C$40,000
Race #2 (8:01 p.m.)
Post Position — Horse — Listed Driver — Trainer
1 — Now Famous — J. Moiseyev — N. Comegna
2 — Predator DVM — R. Zeron — M. Ford
3 — Button Up — Mi. Horner — Ma. Horner
4 — Mister Big — L. Ouellette — V. Morgan Jr.
5 — Acceptable Risk — J. Moiseyev — D. Morrissey
6 — Alastor Hanover — M. Baillargeon — M. Ford
7 — Stormaway — Ma. Megens — D. Megens
8 — Eagle Luck — L. Ouellette — R. McNair