As much as the $194,000 Honorable Miss Handicap (G2) is a prep for the Aug. 24 Ballerina Handicap (G1), that top-level test might be a tad too long for the speedy mare Spirit Wind.
But the six furlongs of the Honorable Miss?
That was perfect for Miller Racing's Florida-bred Spirit Wind and Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith as they controlled the early pace and then held off a late bid by Accede to notch a three-quarter-length victory in the sprint stakes for fillies and mares on the main track July 24 at Saratoga Race Course.
"Seven (furlongs) tests her," trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. "It was a big performance. (At) six furlongs, I think she's as good as any. Unfortunately, most of the races are seven furlongs for the fillies, so that's kind of unfortunate for her."
Spirit Wind has added a bunch of travel points to Smith's account but they have been worthwhile trips from a racing standpoint as well.
"Anytime Saffie calls, you just don't ask why. You just get on the plane," Smith said.
He left his California base May 27 to travel to Texas and was rewarded with a decisive win in the Memorial Day Sprint Stakes at Lone Star Park.
On Wednesday, his cross-country flight netted him a grade 2 victory aboard a daughter of Bahamian Squall who has now won seven of 12 starts with two seconds and a third.
Her only two unplaced starts?
One of them was at seven furlongs May 4 in the Derby City Distaff Stakes (G1) when she faded to sixth.
Spirit Wind benefitted from comfortable fractions to post an initial grade 2 win Wednesday.
"I was warming her up and she was just oozing confidence," Smith said. "I said, 'I ain't going to keep her off the lead today!' Sure enough that's all it was, I just kept the weight on her back. Saffie and his crew did a tremendous job and I just made sure she kept on running."
Spirit Wind was able to lead by 1 1/2 lengths after splits of :22.22 and :45.33, leaving her enough speed to turn aside the two favorites Clearly Unhinged (5-2) and Munnys Gold (3-2) who chased the pace until midstretch.
That's when Juddmonte's Accede charged into the picture from fourth, gaining ground late but she was unable to reel in Spirit Wind ($12).
Final time was 1:10.36.
"Today, she made the lead pretty easy. She was able to hang on and get a big win on her résumé," Joseph said.
Accede, a homebred daughter of Into Mischief trained by Chad Brown, was second by a half-length over Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Jarret Prussin's Clearly Unhinged, an Into Mischief filly trained by Steve Asmussen.
Bred by Jacks or Better Farm in Florida, Spirit Wind, a $555,090 earner, is the eighth of 12 foals from Sacred Psalm, an Awesome of Course mare. The mare has produced eight winners including a stakes winner in Sing Praises (Hear No Evil). Her newest foal is a yearling Vino Rosso colt.
