Dream Pauline gets perfect ride for Hurricane Bertie win

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Dream Pauline got a terrific ride from Javier Castellano and furthered her status in the national filly-mare sprint division Saturday by winning the 21st running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Hurricane Bertie on the Pegasus World Cup card at Gulfstream Park.

Always in contention after breaking with the leaders in the seven-furlong race, Dream Pauline rated kindly down the backstretch, then slipped through an inside opening in the upper stretch and powered to her second straight Grade 3 victory at Gulfstream. The 4-year-old Tapit filly returned $7.80 as third choice after finishing in 1:21.45 over a sloppy and sealed track.

“Javier rode her perfect,” said Kiaran McLaughlin, who trains Dream Pauline for owner-breeder Stonestreet Stables.

Pacific Gale, a 44-1 shot, loomed boldly in midstretch before finishing second, 3 1/2 lengths behind the winner and another 1 1/4 lengths before Stormy Embrace. Shamrock Rose, who was honored as the 2018 filly-mare sprint champion at the Eclipse Awards here Thursday night, was never a factor when finishing fourth as the 2-1 second choice. Trainer Mark Casse said he is inclined to spot Shamrock Rose in a longer race for her next start.

Dream Pauline, a winner of the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl here last month, probably will be withheld from any further racing prior to making her next start in the Grade 1 Madison on April 6, opening weekend of the Keeneland spring meet, McLaughlin said.

“This is a special filly,” he said. “We’ve always been high on her, but a few things didn’t go her way getting to this point.”

Dream Pauline now has won four of five starts. She was excluded from the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, which was won by Shamrock Rose.

The trophy presentation was made in tandem by Anna Seitz of the race sponsor, Fasig-Tipton, and Richard Klein, whose family bred and raced Hurricane Bertie.