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.
