Wind Racer has some big shoes to fill in sprint feature
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – One door opened just as another one closed.
For Stonestreet Stables and trainer Marty Wolfson, the emergence of Wind Racer came the same week that Atreides was retired. Six days after Wind Racer made a flashy Jan. 7 debut at Gulfstream Park, it was announced that a tendon injury had put Atreides out to stud for the 2015 season.
Both 4-year-olds are cut from the same brilliant cloth. Atreides opened his career last summer with Beyer Speed Figures of 105, 102, and 105, while Wind Racer began with a 96 when dusting maidens in a six-furlong race last month. Stonestreet actually co-owns Wind Racer with her breeder, Martin Cherry.
Now comes an opportunity for Wind Racer, a daughter of Curlin, to continue in those hoofsteps, as the filly will be heavily favored against eight others in the Thursday feature at Gulfstream, a $48,000, first-level allowance at six furlongs. Eleven races are on tap, with the first going at 12:30 p.m. Eastern and the featured 10th race at 5:06.
After weeks of dry weather in the south Florida region, forecasters are calling for a good possibility of showers Thursday.
KEY CONTENDERS
Wind Racer (Beyer: 96)
◗ Her abilities were not kept secret from the public when she prevailed first out by five lengths from just off the pace, having been sent away a 7-10 favorite.
◗ She breezed an easy half-mile Sunday in 50.60 seconds, after which Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch had this to say about her on Twitter: “May be the most promising horse on grounds and a joy to watch train.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Wind Racer. Trainer Marty Wolfson is 16-6-3-1 with a $2.08 ROI over the past five years in dirt sprints following a maiden win. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Tarnished (Last 3 Beyers: 69-78-76)
◗ This beautifully bred filly is returning from a six-month layoff following six workouts at the Palm Meadows training center and is trying something radically different, having raced exclusively on turf at a mile or farther.
◗ Veteran trainer Alan Goldberg, who shows outstanding numbers in the categories that apply here, has won with three of his last six starters at Gulfstream (Tap It Out, No Tunes, Pedal Princess).
Previous (Last 3 Beyers: 88-61-84)
◗ This 5-year-old Juddmonte Farms homebred has been firing bullets at Payson Park for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in preparing for her return from a layoff of more than eight months.
◗ Her maiden romp here almost a year ago was followed by two more races, including a just-miss at Belmont Park for this same 1x condition for a much bigger purse.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Previous. Trainer Bill Mott is 49-5-4-8 with a $0.52 ROI over the past five years going route to sprint on dirt following a layoff of 45 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Sookie (Last 3 Beyers: 41-59-46)
◗ Her last three efforts weren’t nearly good enough to get her close to the top opposition here, but it was a 14-length romp in her August debut that surely gives hope to her new trainer-jockey team of Giuseppe Iadisernia and Joel Rosario.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Curlin’s Gold. Trainer Herman Wilensky is 23-9-5-2 with a $5.40 ROI over the past five years with horses making their third start following a layoff. He’s 24-1-6-1, $0.50 ROI first off the layoff and 27-3-5-3, $0.70 ROI second off the layoff. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan