BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Florida-breds Spirit Wind, Nic’s Style and R Disaster are listed as top contenders in the program for the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie, a six-and-a-half-furlong test for seven fillies and mares at Gulfstream Park Saturday. The $165,000 purse includes $15,000 in Florida-bred bonus money presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.

Favored at 8-5 on the morning line is Spirit Wind, who makes her first start since December when winning the $150,000 Poinsettia at Oaklawn Park. That finished off a year in which she also won the Grade 2 Honorable Miss at Saratoga Race Course in July, the $100,000 Memorial Day Sprint at Lone Star Park in May and was named the Florida-bred champion older female by the FTBOA. 

 

“She’s a very consistent mare,” said Saffie Joseph Jr. “She was good horse before we got her and she’s carried on to be a good mare. She likes Gulfstream. She’s back here now. Six-and-a-half [furlongs] is probably the max distance-wise, but it’s well within her reach. Hopefully, she’ll put it a big performance.”

Bred and initially raced by the late Fred Brei in the name of his Jacks or Better Farm Inc., Spirit Wind won the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl in December of 2023 in her last start while racing for Brei’s widow, Jane.

 

After being purchased privately by current owner Miller Racing LLC, Spirit Wind was third in last year’s Hurricane Bertie, less than a length behind winner Red Carpet Ready. Joseph then sent her to Churchill Downs for the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery where she finished sixth before going to Texas for the aforementioned Memorial Day Sprint. Making eight starts at seven tracks last year, she was also eighth in the $500,000 Misty Bennet Pink Ribbon at Charles Town in August, second in the Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) at Keeneland in October and third in the Dream Supreme (Listed) at Churchill Downs in November.

Spirit Wind has a career record of eight wins, three seconds and two thirds in 16 starts with earnings of $729,590. She is by Bahamian Squall out of Sacred Psalm, by Awesome of Course.

Luis Saez will ride Spirit Wind for the first time Saturday and they have post six.

Joseph will also saddle R Disaster for Rich Averill’s Averill Racing LLC, Jayson Werth’s Two Eight Racing LLC and Anthony Mattera’s ATM Racing. Set at 9-2 on the morning line, R Distaster, like Spirit Wind, will likely be on or near the lead early in the race.

“They do have similar styles, but Spirit Wind can sit off it a little bit,” Joseph said. “R Disaster’s never sat. She’s speed. Spirit Wind is versatile. They’re both forward-running horses.”

R Distaster enters off a three-length victory against first level, $25,000 optional claiming fillies and mares going six furlongs at Gulfstream on Jan. 18. She has never finished worse than second in six starts, winning four times while banking $190,480.

 

She is by Ocala Stud stallion Awesome Slew out of Making Havoc, by Gottcha Gold, and was bred in Florida by Ocala Stud and J. Michael O’Farrell Jr.

Edgard Zayas takes the call on R Disaster and they have post four.

The 5-year-old Nic’s Style is another reliable and durable Florida-bred having won six of her seven career start at four different tracks.

She enters the Hurricane Bertie with a three-race winning streak that began in the $150,000 Pumpkin Pie going seven furlongs during the Belmont at Big A meet in November. She returned to Florida to win the $98,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes City of Ocala at Tampa Bay Downs on Dec. 14 before taking the six-furlong, $92,000 Minaret there last out on Feb. 8.

 

Trained by William Mott for Stephen Rousseau, Nic’s Style’s only career loss came when second to Ways and Means in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom during the Belmont at Big A meet over a sloppy six-and-a-half furlongs in September.

Nic’s Style is by Uncaptured out of Sense When, by Street Sense and was bred in Florida by Ken D’Oyen’s D’Oyen Thoroughbreds LLC. She was purchased by Rousseau for $25,000 at the 2021 Ocala Breeders’ Sales October Yearling Sale where she was consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield. She has since earned $390,900.

Nic’s Style will have the services of her regular ride Junior Alvarado and they will break from the inside post one. Nic’s Style is 9-5 on the morning line.

 

Rounding out the field are Into Champagne with jockey John Velazquez, Ruthless Rua and rider Edwin Gonzalez, Dylan Van Dyke rides Save Time and Done Enough will have Paco Lopez in the saddle.

Return to the March 7 issue of Wire to Wire