Pacific Gale raises storm in Hurricane Bertie

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - After going more than two years without a victory, Pacific Gale won her second graded stakes in less than two months by rallying to a popular 3 1/2-length victory over Sound Machine in Saturday’s Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie at Gulfstream Park.

The win was the fourth on the day for jockey Junior Alvarado.

Pacific Gal had been winless in 17 starts dating back to the fall of 2018 before rallying to a 2 3/4-length decision in the Grade 2 Inside Information here on Jan. 23. She had to wait an extra week to get to run in the 6 1/2-furlong Hurricane Bertie after the race was postponed last Saturday due to lack of entries.

Pacific Gale was allowed to settle within easy striking distance of early pacesetter Cory Gal. She had to wait briefly for room on the final turn, split horses commencing her bit into the stretch then readily ran by Sound Machine once settling for the drive to win going away for the second time in a row.

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Sound Machine, a distant eighth more than 19 lengths behind Pacific Gale in the Inside Information, got the opportunity to run in the Hurricane Bertie after the race was postponed and following a sharp work with Florida Derby-bound stablemate Collaborate here last Sunday. She prompted the early running, gained command outside horses into the stretch, but proved no match for the winner. Saguaro Row finished third despite not switching leads down the stretch and drifting some during the late stages.

Pacific Gale, a 6-year-old daughter of Flat Out, was making her first start for her new owners, Holly Hill Stable, in the Hurricane Bertie, who bought the horse privately following the recent passing of her longtime owner Tobey Morton. Final time over the fast track was 1:15.93. She paid $3.80.

“I rode her a couple of times before and we always thought she was better than she was showing at that time,” Alvarado said. “She never ran bad, but was never running like we were expecting. But since she’s moved here, both her starts have been unbelievable. John Kimmel and his staff have done an amazing job figuring out what they had to do to get her to the next level.”

Warrior's Pride takes Texas Glitter

Racing with blinkers and over the turf for the first time, Warrior’s Pride set a lightning pace and still had enough in the tank to hold off belated rallies from Kasim and Field Day to upset the $75,000 Texas Glitter while giving Alvarado his fifth win on the day.

Running back on just two weeks' rest after finishing a tiring fifth in the Hutcheson over a sloppy main track, Warrior’s Pride sprinted to a commanding advantage while posting splits of 20.57 for the opening quarter and 43.05 for a half. He settled into the stretch with a comfortable lead and was able to last despite shortening stride at the end.

Kasim checked back to last when squeezed between horses shortly after the start, still trailed the field entering the stretch, split horses with his final bid and fell just short while besting even-money favorite Field Day by a nose to finish second.

Warrior’s Pride, a Just for Fun Stable homebred by Poseidon’s Warrior, is trained by Antonio Cioffi. The win was his third in seven career starts. He paid $23.30 after completing five furlongs on the firm turf in 55.37.

Wink wins Melody of Colors

Wink kept her U.S. record unblemished after leading throughout to register a popular three-quarter-length decision over Lionessofbrittany in the $75,000 Melody of Colors Stakes. ‘

Wink opened her career with a pair of victories at 2 - the first at Belmont Park, the second in the Colleen Stakes at Monmouth Park. Both those wins, like the Melody of Colors, were at five furlongs on the turf. She suffered her only setback to date late last summer at Longchamp when finishing second, beaten a length after setting the pace, in the Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg Stakes.

Racing without blinkers for the first time, Wink, a daughter of Midshipman, sprinted right to the lead and showed the way under clever rating under Javier Castellano while stalked from the outset by Rocket Reload and Lionessofbrittany. The latter continued on gamely down the stretch but could not quite get to the winner while remaining second-best, finishing a length in front of the late-running Can’t Buy Love.

Wink, trained by Wesley Ward for Stonestreet Stables LLC, completed the distance in 55.26 over the firm course and paid $4.00.