Wind of Change breezes to victory in Mr. Prospector
Wind of Change blew away five rivals in the $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth Park.
Breaking on top from post 1 under J. C. Diaz Jr., Wind of Change ($6.60) made a clear lead in the first few strides and never relinquished it, turning back challenges at the five-sixteenths pole from Always Sunshine and Awesome Anywhere before drawing clear for a 6 1/4-length victory.
Saffie Joseph, stabled at Monmouth this season for the first time, trains the winner for Daniel Alonso. Bred in Brazil and based there through his 2019 campaign, Wind of Change won for the seventh time on a wet track, splashing through six furlongs on a sloppy, sealed track in a brisk 1:09.60. Wind of Change, racing well within himself, set splits of 22.34 and 45.14 en route to his handy score. Golden Brown ran late to nab second while making his first start in 2021, edging past Always Sunshine in the final yards. Awesome Anywhere, narrowly favored over Wind of Change, faded to last of six. Croatian and Substantial were scratched.
Wind of Change had been kept mainly to races at seven furlongs and beyond after coming to North America, but Joseph, who only began training the horse late this winter, decided to try and make a pure sprinter out of his charge. Wind of Change finished second going six furlongs in a Gulfstream Park allowance race in his first race following the trainer change and took a considerable step forward winning the Mr. Prospector.
Wind of Change is an entire horse by Forestry out of Academia Real, by Banker’s Gold.