Spirit Wind was entered in this week’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale, but was ultimately withdrawn to continue racing for her current connections. She’ll look to give Miller Racing and trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. a payday in return as she sails into Saturday’s $300,000 Dream Supreme Stakes as the favorite off a campaign against stiff competition.
The Florida-bred Spirit Wind has two stakes scores from six starts this year since moving to Joseph’s barn, with the highlight being a victory in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Handicap at Saratoga. The mare bobbled at the start, recovered to gain her preferred place on the lead, and gamely held off graded stakes winner Accede by three-quarters of a length. More recently, Spirit Wind faced another strong field in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes at Keeneland, where she pressed the pace before being overhauled late by multiple stakes winner Zeitlos, who went on to finish seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Grade 1 winner Brightwork was third.
Mike Smith, who has been aboard Spirit Wind in her last four starts, including a pair of stakes wins, is in to ride. Spirit Wind has drawn post 3 in a field of nine with plenty of other speed. Upper Case, just to her inside in post 2, will be looking to join her on the front end, along with Accomplished Girl from post 6 and Into Love from post 8.
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Accomplished Girl, now in the barn of Steve Asmussen, won the Grade 2 Presque Isle Masters last year on Tapeta on the front end when trained by Joseph. Since then, she has one win in eight starts – that coming in an allowance race on the Kentucky Downs turf in her first start for this barn. In her most recent start on dirt, she was a chasing second to Spirit Wind in the Memorial Day Sprint at Lone Star. If Accomplished Girl can turn in another good dirt performance, she may be overlooked despite her graded stakes class and offer some value.
Mystic Pleasure, the second choice on the morning line for Rodolphe Brisset, might be in a good spot to stalk and pounce from post 5 under Florent Geroux. She finished third in the Groupie Doll Stakes at Ellis Park and the Twixt Stakes at Laurel Park, both at a mile, earlier this year. Most recently, she cut back to 6 1/2 furlongs to win an allowance race at Keeneland, gamely dueling and getting up late.
Upper Case has twice finished second to Mystic Pleasure this year and is making her stakes debut.
Awesome Treat won the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Sprint at Ellis, but has been well beaten in two graded stakes tries since then. Lure’em In has made just one stakes start, finishing fifth at Prairie Meadows.
Girls Weekend, also making her stakes debut, and Miss Arlington and Into Love, making their first starts since May and June, respectively, complete the field.
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