BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Considered a top contender for the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade 1) earlier this year after winning the Fasig-Tipton Silverbulletday in January, The Kenneth McPeek-trained Taken by the Wind will instead race on the Churchill Downs turf Friday in the $600,000 Edgewood Stakes presented by Accenture (G2). The Florida-bred Taken by the Wind has drawn post 12 in the field of 14 sophomore fillies who will race a mile-and-a-sixteenth.
Following her gate-to-wire win in the $145,000 Silverbulletday at Fair Grounds, Taken by the Wind was side-tracked on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks after finishing eighth in the Grade 3 Honeybee at Oaklawn Park on March 1. Although she rebounded to finish third next out in the Grade 2 Fantasy at Oaklawn on March 27, a key qualifying race for the Kentucky Oaks, McPeek instead decided to try a different path on grass for the bay filly in the Edgewood.
Taken by the Wind is by 2021 Santa Anita Derby (G1)-winner Rock Your World, who also took the $100,000 Pasadena Stakes (Listed) on the grass; and she is out of the First Samurai mare Up For Grabs, a winner on synthetic during her racing career.
Bred in Florida by Courtney Meagher of Citra, Taken by the Wind has won three of five career starts with one third. She has earned $389,460 for owner Magdalena Racing, Terry Bradshaw, Graham Leveston and Raasi Stable.
Luis Saez will ride Taken by the Wind for the first time and they are listed at 30-1 on the morning line.
Imaginationthelady, the program favorite at 4-1, has raced exclusively on grass during a four-race career that started with two wins, including a length victory in the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland in October. She finished her 2-year-old season finishing fourth, two-a-half lengths shy of winner Balantina (Ire) in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar on October 31.
Trained by Brendan Walsh for Mark Dobbin, Imaginationthelady has one race this year when second, a neck behind Storm’s Wake, in the Grade 2 Appalachian presented by Japan Racing Association at Keeneland on April 4. Storm’s Wake also returns in the Edgewood entries.
By Not This Time out of the War Front mare Romanticism, Imaginationthelady has earned $475,000 in her four races.
She has drawn post three and Tyler Gaffalione has the return mount.
Storm’s Wake has also raced exclusively on turf in her seven career starts for trainer Brian Lynch and owner William K. Werner. In addition to her victory in the Appalachian, she won a maiden special weight at Ellis Park and an allowance race at Churchill Downs in her first two starts. The daughter of Oscar Performance also counts thirds in the $155,000 Ginger Brew on January 3 and in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride on February 28, both on the Gulfstream Park grass.
Joel Rosario has ridden Storm’s Wake in her last two races and will again be in the irons from post one. They are 6-1 on the morning line.
Rounding out the Edgewood entries are Connect the Stars and jockey Javier Castellano, Lorelie Lee with Fernando De La Cruz in the irons, Flavien Prat has the call on Just Aloof, Tam Tam and pilot Junior Alvarado, Dylan Davis captains Lovely Grey, John Velazquez will have the reins on Lion Lake (Ire), Dandon has Jose Ortiz with the riding assignment, Bohemian will have Brian Hernandez Jr. in the saddle, Time to Dream will be guided by Irad Ortiz Jr., Indigo Woods (Ire) will carry Abel Conception and jockey Edgard Morales will be on To a Flame.
Return to the April 30 issue of Wire to Wire
