Miller Racing LLC’s Spirit Wind is set faceoff in a small but continuous field of filly and mares, 3-years-old and older in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America at Keeneland Saturday. In addition to the $350,000 purse, the six-furlong contest offers a “Win and Your’re In” fees paid berth into the Grade 1 PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint to be run at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on Nov. 1.

Assigned 7-2 morning line odds, Florida-bred Spirit Wind is the fourth choice in the program for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. as she shoots for her third stakes victory in her most recent four starts.

Last out, Spirit Wind snapped a two-race winning streak when fading to finish eighth after setting the pace in the $500,000 Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon won by Free Like a Girl going seven furlongs at Charles Town Races on Aug. 23.

The 5-year-old daughter of Double Diamond Farm’s Bahamian Squall entered the Pink Ribbon as the odds-on favorite after winning the $100,000 Memorial Day Sprint at Lone Star Park in May and the Grade 2 Honorable Miss at Saratoga on July 24, both at six furlongs.

Spirit Wind is out of Sacred Psalm, by Awesome of Course and was bred in Florida by Jacks or Better Farm Inc. She has won seven of 13 career starts with two seconds and a third as the Pink Ribbon was only the third time she finished out of the top three. She was fourth in the Grade 3 Winning Colors in 2023 and sixth in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff in May.

An earner of $560,090, Spirit Wind will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith and they will depart post four.

The John Ortiz-trained Brightwork appears to be the one to beat having won five of her seven career starts including the Grade 3 Prioress going six furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 31.

Tabbed as the 2-1 morning line favorite, Brightwork won her first four career starts, including the Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga in September of last year. The daughter of Outwork then finished her juvenile campaign with a pair of unsuccessful attempts around two turns, finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Alcibiades won by Candied at Keeneland in October and sixth behind winner Just F Y I in the Breeders’ Cup Juveniles Fillies at Santa Anita in November, both at a mile-and-a-sixteenth.

Luis Saez will ride in the colors of owner WSS Racing LLC and they will break from post three.

Also entered are Clearly Unhinged and jockey Cristian Torres, Anywho with John Velazquez up, Run for the Hills and rider Ricardo Santana Jr., Jose Ortiz has the call on Zeitlos and Tyler Gaffalione will be in the saddle on Red Carpet Ready.

Return to the October 4 issue of Wire to Wire