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Spirit Wind Returns With Front-Running Sugar Swirl Victory

Off since May, Jacks or Better Farm Inc.'s Spirit Wind came back running in Saturday's $125,000 Sugar Swirl (G3) at Gulfstream Park, earning graded stakes credentials with a front-running victory.

Spirit Wind, who had demonstrated dazzling speed while winning four of her previous seven starts, ran to form Saturday, jumping to a clear early lead and setting fractions of :22.23 and :45.30 under Jose Ortiz while well clear of the field for the first half-mile. The Carlos David-trained 4-year-old daughter of Bahamian Squall began to shorten stride in midstretch but held on gamely to finish a half-length ahead of runner-up Intrepid Daydream.

“Carlos told me the works she's had here were very good work. Obviously has back class and she obviously has speed,” Ortiz said. “She gave me a good jump out of the gate. She broke very clean. She relaxed very good.”

Spirit Wind ($8.40) ran six furlongs in 1:10.58 to deny the late stretch bid by Intrepid Daydream, who finished a neck ahead of third-place finisher Olivia Darling.

Jacks or Better Farm's Florida homebred out of the Awesome of Course mare Sacred Psalm was a multiple stakes winner who finished second behind Ce Ce in the Princess Rooney (G2) during her 3-year-old season. She won an allowance in her 2023 debut at Gulfstream last March and finished fourth in the May 29 Winning Colors (G3) at Churchill Downs before going to the sidelines.

Spirit Wind was transferred to David's Palm Meadows-based stable approximately a month ago and entered the Sugar Swirl off one workout.

“I wanted to give her one more work, but we had the bad weather,” David said. “I told Jose, 'She might need the race. There's a lot of speed. Just break good. If some of the others go to the lead, just sit.' She grabbed the lead and as soon as she got the lead, she relaxed a little bit.”

David said he'd look for another graded stakes opportunity for Spirit Wind during the Gulfstream's Championship Meet.

The post Spirit Wind Returns With Front-Running Sugar Swirl Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Alpine Princess Goes Big And Easy To Win Untapable S.

Alpine Princess (Classic Empire) did not disappoint her backers as she lived up to favoritism and won Saturday's Untapable S. in New Orleans.

The bay broke her maiden at second asking by a head at Saratoga Sept. 3, but was well-beaten in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. at Keeneland Oct. 6. Returning to her winning ways against allowance company after her race was taken off the grass at Churchill Downs Nov. 26, the filly went off at 8-5 here.

The Brad Cox trainee was in-tight along the rail before the first turn, but she scooted through to the take the lead. Alpine Princess controlled the pace up the backstretch and around the far turn. Unchallenged, the juvenile cruised along down the long stretch and took home the prize over stablemate West Omaha (West Coast).

The winner is her dam's first offspring, but she does have a yearling half-sister by Mitole, who was recently purchased for $95,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale by Grade One Investments. A half-sister to GSP Another Miracle (American Pharoah), Le Moine visited Game Winner for 2024. Second dam SW Retraceable (Medaglia d'Oro) is a half-sister to SW Maritime Passion (Stormy Atlantic), who is responsible for MGSW Passion for Action (Speightstown).

UNTAPABLE S., $97,000, Fair Grounds, 12-23, 2yo, f, 1m 70y, 1:43.08, ft.
1–ALPINE PRINCESS, 122, f, 2, by Classic Empire
                1st Dam: Le Moine, by Curlin
                2nd Dam: Retraceable, by Medaglia d'Oro
                3rd Dam: Embraceable, by Dehere
($190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Full of Run Racing II, LLC and Madaket Stables LLC; B-Betz/DJ Stables/Peter V. Lamantia/Classic Empire Syndicate (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-1, $210,810.
2–West Omaha, 122, f, 2, West Coast–Birthday Bash, by Medaglia d'Oro. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $20,000.
3–Sistina Chapel, 122, f, 2, Liam's Map–Addae Do Jaguarete (Brz), by Crimson Tide (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Brownwood Farm (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $10,000.
Margins: 2, 3, 7. Odds: 1.70, 2.20, 9.70.
Also Ran: Legadema, Band of Gold, Fibber
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Alpine Princess Goes Big And Easy To Win Untapable S. appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Simple Pleasure: Graded Racing On Opening Day In Arcadia

Boxing Day is not a holiday observed on the American calendar–thanks, Revolutionary generation. However, the day after Christmas is circled in red by the horse racing cadre because it means one thing: Opening Day at Santa Anita Park.

This Tuesday, an 11-race card kicks off at 2 p.m. ET under the picturesque San Gabriel mountains in Arcadia, California–six of which are graded stakes.

To entice the horseplayer, the Classic Meet sports a $1 Pick Six, a 14 percent takeout on both the .50 Early and Late Pick 5, and we will see the return of the $3 All-Turf Pick 3, which was announced during the recent Autumn Meet.

As for the graded lineup, of course the feature is once again the GI Malibu S. for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs on dirt.

Trainer Bob Baffert has GSW Speed Boat Beach (Bayern), GSW Fort Bragg (Tapit) and GISP Hejazi (Bernardini) ready to go. The Hall of Famer, who won last year's edition with 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner), is seeking his sixth win in the Malibu. That would tie fellow Hall member Richard Mandella for most wins all-time in the race.

The 3-year-old fillies take the stage in the GI La Brea S. going seven furlongs. GISP Clearly Unhinged (Into Mischief) looks to be the leading contender. The Michael McCarthy-trainee was most recently sixth at 'The Great Race Place' in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Nov. 4.

Baffert, who has won the last two La Breas, and with a record of nine overall, enters GSP Fast and Shiny (Bernardini), while trainer Brad Cox ships in SW Howl (Practical Joke).

Anisette | Benoit

In the GI American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/4 miles on turf, GISW Anisette (GB) Awtaad (Ire) is the standout. The Leonard Powell-trainee won the GI Del Mar Oaks and GII San Clemente S. at Del Mar earlier this year. Most recently, Anisette was the runner-up in both the GII Rodeo Drive S. Oct. 7 and GIII Autumn Miss S. Nov. 5, both at Santa Anita.

Alongside the three Grade Is are the same number of Grade IIs, which all carry a purse of $200,000. The GII San Gabriel S. for 3-year-olds and up at nine furlongs on turf includes Easter (Fr). The Phil D'Amato-trainee won his first start for his new barn in the GII Seabiscuit H. at Del Mar Nov. 25. The 5-year-old Australian-bred by Exosphere (Aus) was previously based in New York with trainer Graham Motion.

The GII San Antonio S. is for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on dirt. Present are Stilleto Boy (Shackleford), winner of this year's GI Santa Anita H.; GSW Newgrange (Violence); MGSW Brickyard Ride (Clubhouse Ride); and GSW Salesman (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Add in South American import Subsanador (Arg) (Fortify), who is a Argentinian multiple Group 1 winner, and this makes for a pretty salty affair.

In what might be the most open battle on the whole card, the GII Mathis Mile S. over the grass for 3-year-olds includes GSP Almendares (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), SW Dandy Man Shines (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) and GSP Panic Alarm (Ire) (Kuroshio {Aus}).

The post Simple Pleasure: Graded Racing On Opening Day In Arcadia appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Be My Sunshine Strikes For First Stakes Win In Tropical Park Oaks

Ken Ramsey homebred Be My Sunshine, three weeks removed from a win over her elders at the same course and distance, got a heady ride from jockey Edgard Zayas in her return to spring an 8-1 surprise upset in Saturday's $125,000 Tropical Park Oaks at Gulfstream Park.

The 29th running of the 1 1/16-mile Tropical Park Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on the turf was the first of four $125,000 stakes on an 11-race program, followed by the seven-furlong Mr. Prospector (G3) for 3-year-olds and up and six-furlong Sugar Swirl (G3) for fillies and mares, both on the main track, and 1 1/16-mile Tropical Park Derby for 3-year-olds, also on the grass.

Trained by two-time defending Championship Meet titlist Saffie Joseph Jr., Be My Sunshine ($19.40) completed the distance in 1:39.94 over the firm going for her third win in four tries over the Gulfstream turf, and first in a stakes.

“Today she needed to step up and improve, and she did that,” Joseph said. “What a ride by Edgard. He was able to save all the ground, got the slip at the head of the lane and that was the difference between winning and losing – his ride.”

Back in against her own age group for the first time since the summer, Be My Sunshine broke from Post 11 of 12 and settled in fourth, racing between Grade 2-placed Dolce Sopresa to her inside and Grade 3-placed Startup Mentality as 90-1 long shot Speed Trap led through a quarter mile in :22.81 and a half mile in :47.22.

Speed Trap was still in front after six furlongs in 1:11.19 when Zayas gave Be My Sunshine her cue, ducking her down inside and splitting Speed Trap to her outside and Dolce Sopresa on the rail. Be My Sunshine surged through the opening and got a jump on late-running Grade 3-placed Breath Away and Alpha Bella to hold them off and win by a head.

“My only worry [was] I didn't want to rush her up. I just wanted to get her out of there fast enough so that I could cross over and get a good position,” Zayas said. “It worked out good. She helped me a lot the whole way. We found a hole on the rail and kicked in and held on.”

Breath Away edged Alpha Bella for second, with Grade 3 winner Cairo Consort fourth, and 35-1 long shot Sun Bee fifth.

Unraced at 2, Be My Sunshine, a daughter of Frosted, debuted with a win sprinting 7 ½ furlongs Jan. 8 on the Gulfstream turf, where she ran second next time out going 1 1/16 miles March 12. After running sixth in the Selene (G3) on Woodbine's all-weather surface July 1 she had faced older horses in each of her next three starts.

Zayas and Joseph have established a winning connection in recent years, connecting at 26 percent at Gulfstream and 25 percent overall in 2022-23.

“I ride [Zayas] a lot, I'm hard on him, and today he won the race. If he doesn't give her that ride, she probably doesn't win,” Joseph said. “He obviously had the horse, she did her job, too, but he was a big part of it.”

Kentucky-bred Be My Sunshine was produced by the Kitten's Joy mare Sisterhood.

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