Taken By The Wind strolls to narrow victory in Silverbulletday Stakes
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The trainer Kenny McPeek often buys horses at auction on a bigger budget these days, but to some extent he made his name finding lower-priced yearlings who turned into runners – horses like Taken By the Wind, who led all the way on a walking pace and captured the $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes by a neck Saturday at Fair Grounds.
McPeek, in fact, bought Taken By the Wind twice, first for $70,000 as a summer yearling, then for $20,000 later the same year after her original owner, Walking L Thoroughbreds, dispersed their Thoroughbred holdings.
Out of the First Samurai mare Up for Grabs, Taken By the Wind is by Rock Your World, far from a fashionable stallion, but the filly has started her career with three wins. She debuted Aug. 21 in a Saratoga maiden race in which horses could be entered for a $75,000 claiming price – not the kind of Saratoga straight maiden that attracts top prospects – won that despite racing greenly, and came back on Sept. 13 to land the Grade 3 Pocahontas at Churchill Downs by 5 1/4 lengths. No world-beaters in that field, but Taken By the Wind defeated horses of greater talent and accomplishment in the Silverbulletday, and was well prepped for her return from a four-month layoff.
No doubt, her success was pace-aided. With none of the other five jockeys in the race especially interested in leading, Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard Taken By the Wind seized on his mount’s sharp break to take control of the Silverbulletday. Over a track producing average-to-quick times on a windy day, Taken By the Wind posted splits of 25.69 and 50.24, barely more than a common gallop.
“She puts us in a good spot first jump out of the gate,” Hernandez said. “They let us cruise along as slow as I wanted.”
Axel Concepcion on Luv Your Neighbor approaching the five-sixteenths marker well around the far turn finally ratcheted up the pressure, drawing alongside Taken By the Wind at the head of the homestretch, but Taken By the Wind had something left, fought back, and held off Luv Your Neighbor to win by a neck.
Another neck back in third came 1-2 favorite Atropa, who stalked the pace along the fence under a confident Jose Ortiz, tried to rally along the rail, but could not muster the late speed to get home. Pashmina finished 1 1/4 lengths farther behind in fourth and was followed by Dancin in Old Town and White Smoke.
The ungraded Silverbulletday is part of Churchill Downs’ Road to the Kentucky Oaks, and the first five finishers earned 20, 10, 6, 4, and 2 qualifying points toward the Oaks.
Taken By the Wind ran one mile, 70 yards in 1:43.58 and paid $10.80 as the second choice. She campaigns for Magdalena Racing, Terry Bradshaw, Graham Leveston, and Raasi Stable, and was bred in Florida by Courtney Meagher.
The $20,000 auction horse already has earned $270,000. She’s undefeated and officially on the Kentucky Oaks trail.
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