Futurity bright for Stormello

Returning home was the ticket to success for Stormello.

A well-beaten fifth in a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile dominated by Street Sense on Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs, Stormello won his second consecutive graded stakes in California, edging 15-1 shot Liquidity to win the $441,500 Hollywood Futurity on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

The neck margin of victory for the 2-year-old Stormy Atlantic colt was the same as it was when he took the Norfolk, a Grade II -- since elevated to a Grade I for 2007 -- on Oct. 8 at Santa Anita.

Able to take the Norfolk from slightly off the pace, Stormello, the 3-1 second choice Saturday, was in front virtually throughout in the Futurity.

In the process, he provided trainer Bill Currin, who bred and co-owns the colt with Al Eisman, his first Grade I victory. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:42.19.

Under Kent Desormeaux, who was aboard for the Norfolk high and the Breeders’ Cup low, Stormello found a little extra after being headed in the stretch by Liquidity, one of two horses trainer Doug O’Neill ran in the Futurity. The other, Notional, finished sixth at 5-1.

This was the first victory in the Futurity in nine years for Desormeaux, who is riding regularly in the East these days.

The jockey, who also won the race in 1994 with Afternoon Deelites, can only hope Stormello does as well as a 3-year-old as the colt he won the race with in 1997.

Real Quiet parlayed Futurity success into victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and missed the Triple Crown by a whisker when beaten at the wire by Victory Gallop in the Belmont Stakes.

“He wanted to go play on the lead today,” Desormeaux said. “I just dropped the lines and let him find a comfortable place where he would be happy and the happy horse was the fast horse today.

“He got passed in the lane and I sincerely thought I was beat at that point and was going to be second, but he found it in him somewhere to grind it out big and find some more.”

Currin, who will team with Desormeaux on longshot Tizthen in the $250,000 guaranteed Hollywood Starlet today, believes the best is yet to come for Stormello.

“I think he’ll be a champion,” he said. “I didn’t expect him to be on the lead. Kent said he was going so easy he didn’t dare to disturb him. When he was challenged, he had to re-break, a sign of a very, very good horse. I’m thrilled.”

Roman Commander, the third-longest shot in the field at 36-1, finished third, a nose in front of the previously unbeaten Belgravia.

The 2-1 favorite on the strength of two sprint wins, Belgravia, a son of Mr. Greeley and a $2-million purchase in February, was beaten about 1 1/2 lengths after breaking from the outside in the field of 10.

“I think he ran well,” said Belgravia’s trainer, Patrick Biancone. “He’s a young horse. He’s learning. We lost the battle today, but he have not lost the war yet. We’ll be all right.”

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Thanks primarily to upsets by 12-1 shot A.P. Xcellent, 10-1 outsider Tenash and 13-1 shot Angelo The Great, there is a pick six carry-over of $175,371 for today at Hollywood Park.

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Jockey Rafael Bejarano won two of the four stakes run at Calder, including a 5-1 upset aboard Devil’s Preacher in the $200,000 W.L. McKnight Handicap.

A Grade II originally scheduled for the turf, the McKnight was switched to a sloppy main track, leading to seven scratches, including favored Revved Up.

Bejarano’s other victory came on 2-1 shot Hesanoldsalt in the $100,000 Fred W. Hooper Handicap. The other winners were favored Safari Queen in the $200,000 La Prevoyante and 7-1 outsider Weigelia, who led throughout to take the $100,000 Kenny Noe Handicap.

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Victory Pool, a 7-1 shot, overtook pacesetter Samsincharge in mid-stretch and won the $65,000 Gold Beauty at Aqueduct.

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Devilment ($7.60) won for the second time in as many starts on turf, taking the $75,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial Handicap at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

bob.mieszerski@latimes.com