Wildwood's Beauty gets another test in Hurricane Bertie

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Wildwood’s Beauty had shown herself a standout among Florida-breds in her first year of racing, but there was some question as to how she would match up in high-end open company.

Wildwood’s Beauty answered with a terrific race in the Grade 2 Inside Information in her graded stakes debut seven weeks ago at Gulfstream Park, raising the possibility she could ultimately join the elite of filly-mare sprinters.

“If she shows up again Saturday, I’d like to take her to Keeneland next month,” said Scott Becker, who trains the 4-year-old Kantharos filly for longtime client William Stiritz.

The Saturday race is the Grade 3, $150,000 Hurricane Bertie, the highlight of a 12-race card at Gulfstream. Wildwood’s Beauty appears to be in for another legitimate test when facing the likes of Blamed and Lady Kate in a seven-furlong race that could lead to the Grade 1 Madison on April 4 at Keeneland.

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In all, nine fillies and mares will go postward in the Hurricane Bertie, the 11th race on a program that starts at 12:45 p.m. Eastern. Wildwood’s Beauty, with Julien Leparoux riding from post 7, will be looking to duplicate her effort in the Jan. 25 Inside Information, when she overcame a spot of trouble to reach the lead in deep stretch, only to be passed by the late-flying Pink Sands and finish second.

“Since that race, everything’s been in order,” said Becker, who was scheduled to travel here from his primary base in southern Illinois in time to saddle his stable star Saturday. “She’s worked well, no excuses.”

Remarkably, Wildwood’s Beauty has finished first or second in all 11 career starts over dirt, with a sixth-place finish on turf being her only other race. When she won the restricted Sheer Drama here in September, she earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure, highest in this field.

Lady Kate, with Jose Ortiz back from a three-week hiatus forced by injury, figures as her chief threat and breaks from post 9. The 4-year-old Bernardini filly has won all three of her starts over the Gulfstream main track while going winless in four races elsewhere.

“Obviously, there’s something about the Gulfstream track she really likes,” said her trainer, Eddie Kenneally. “We’re looking for another big race from her Saturday.”

Blamed (post 1, Emisael Jaramillo) was caught up on a blistering pace in the Inside Information before faltering, but she has since rebounded with an allowance victory here. The Bill Mott-trained mare has won 8 of 12 starts, including a win in the Grade 3 Royal Delta here in February 2019.

Other possibilities in a solid lineup include Nonna Madeline (post 6, John Velazquez), third in the Inside Information; Sally’s Curlin (post 5, Edgar Prado), winner of the Grade 3 Chilukki at Churchill Downs in November; and Pauseforthecause (post 8, Paco Lopez), a speedy New York-bred in off a 10-week layoff.

W.W. Fitzy, a second Becker trainee, helps to round out the cast, along with Heiresall and Unholy Alliance.

This is the 22nd running of the Hurricane Bertie, which is named for a 1995 foal who earned $940,041 for her owner-breeders, the Klein family of Louisville, Ky. It is part of the Rainbow 6 sequence (races 7-12), which was projected to offer a pool guarantee of $1.2 million, assuming the jackpot was not emptied Thursday or Friday.