HALLANDALE BEACH - Jacks or Better Farm Inc.’s Spirit Wind ran a hole in the wind today at Gulfstream Park, scoring a never-in-doubt front-running victory in the $100,000 Any Limit Stakes.

    The Any Limit, a six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies, was the first of three stakes on the program that also featured the $100,000 Hutcheson, a six-furlong test for 3-year-olds; and the $100,000 Silks Run, a five-furlong dash for older horses on turf.

    Spirit Wind set fractions of :21.94 and :44.39 seconds for the first half mile to distance herself from her five rivals before coasting to a 2 ½-lengths victory in 1:11.43 under Tyler Gaffalione.

    “That’s her. She’s talented. She does things easy,” trainer Ralph Nicks said. “Second time off the layoff, she was probably a little more keen than she normally would be, but at the end of the day she’s just loaded with talent.”

    The homebred daughter of Bahamian Squall debuted with a second-place finish at 4 ½ furlongs last May and returned eight months later to graduate by 13 ½ lengths at Gulfstream on Feb. 18, running six furlongs in 1:09.

    “She’s fast,” Gaffalione said. “Last time, we took her away from the pony and she was really relaxed. She went to the gate real calm. Today, she was a little bit more on her toes when I took her away from the pony. I was regretting it. She got a little too forward and a little too warm. That’s why I think we saw here come back to the field late, but she’s a quality filly.”

    One Identity, who was undefeated in her first two starts, rallied late to edge Strategic Bird for second by 1 ¼ lengths.

    Spirit Wind ($4.40) will be given a little extra time before returning to action. “She’s going to need a little spacing between this one and the next one,” Nicks said. “Maybe we’ll go to Pimlico or something in the middle.”

    The Miss Preakness (G3), a six-furlong stakes for 3-year-olds fillies, will be run on the Black-Eyed Susan Day undercard May 20 at Pimlico. comments powered by Disqus