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It was an eventful Hoosier Day on Oct. 1 at Horseshoe Indianapolis as CJ’s Storm added a little thunder, bringing home the upset win in the 28th running of the To Much Coffee Handicap. The race is named in honor of one of Indiana’s first standout Thoroughbreds, To Much Coffee, who found success outside the borders of Indiana.
CJ’s Storm and Alberto Burgos had a challenging task at the start of the To Much Coffee, beginning from post nine in the 12-horse lineup. Burgos requested some early speed and was able to get toward the front before the first turn of the one and one-sixteenth mile event. Chocolate Moose and Sammy Bermudez held down the inside top spot to set the tempo, and CJ’s Storm sat just off his flank, under a patient hand by Burgos.
Heading into the final turn, Follow the Money, who had sat third the entire way for Fernando De La Cruz, began working hard to catch the top two. This prompted CJ’s Storm to pick up the pace as well. At the head of the lane, CJ’s Storm and Chocolate Moose were hooked into a big battle all the way down the stretch. In the final strides, CJ’s Storm was able to pull away and get the advantage by one and one-half lengths for the win at 21-1 odds. Chocolate Moose was a clear cut second over Follow the Money.
“This horse (CJ’s Storm) always gives me everything he has,” said Burgos. “Every time, he always improves. When you don’t think you have a good shot, he proves you wrong. He is such a nice horse and tries so hard every time.”
CJ’s Storm paid $57.00 for the win. The 5-year-old graduate of the ITOBA Fall Mixed Sale as a $6,200 yearling purchase earned his fourth win in seven starts for 2025. He added the To Much Coffee title to the William Henry Harrison, earned earlier in the meet. The Storm’s Eye gelding is owned by Haran Thoroughbreds and Janet and Charles Watt. The Watts travel several hours from their home in Southern Illinois each time CJ’s Storm races, and Charles always wears his CJ’s Storm black hat.
“We hoped for a win, you always hope for one, but didn’t expect it,” noted Charles. “We felt he had a good shot, but there are a lot of good horses in this class. This is like the Super Bowl of Indiana horses, so we were not expecting it.”
Charles, who is now retired from the printing business, returned to the horse business about a decade ago. He was part of the ownership of Sucess is Racing, two-time Indiana Horse of the Year. They talked with John Haran about partnering on a horse, and in 2021, CJ’s Storm was one of the ones they had marked as a potential buy.
Haran, who is a native of Ireland, was not present for the win. He oversees a string in Chicago as well as a full barn at Horseshoe Indianapolis. He mentioned in a previous interview he has purchased every foal from the dam of CJ’s Storm, Perfect List, and has had good luck with all of them. His latest purchase, CJ’s Storm, is now a seven-time winner with earnings in excess of $350,000.
“We had no expectations today,” added Janet. “We were just hoping he hit the board!"
This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Oct 1, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.