Photo:

Ellis Park / Coady Photography

Back from a 10-month break, Into Champagne faces the demanding challenge of multiple graded-stakes winner Spirit Wind and five more older fillies and mares in the Grade 3, Hurricane Bertie Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

A daughter of Into Mischief, Into Champagne finished seventh in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 3 before going to the sidelines. Her trainer Ian Wilkes faced a similar task last season at Gulfstream with very positive results.

Into Champagne, a $300,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September sale, is rated third at 4-1 on the morning line. She was most impressive on debut, scoring by 6 3/4 lengths at Ellis Park in June 2023 before going on a hiatus for nearly seven months. She returned to action in January 2024 with an off-the pace victory in the 6 1/2-furlong Glitter Woman stakes.

“Being a little older against a better class of horse now makes it a little tougher,” Wilkes said. “But she has been working well. I think she is stronger now than she was last year.”

Into Champagne was impressive in defeat in her graded-stakes debut in her next start, falling half-length short of victory in a second-place finish in the mile Davona Dale (G2). After contesting the pace into the stretch in her two-turn debut in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), she weakened late to finish third but accumulated enough qualifying points to run in the Kentucky Oaks. The Kentucky-bred filly was in contention in the 1 1/8-mile Oaks before weakening late.

“We took a shot in the Oaks. We all knew in the back of our minds that it was a bit far for her,” Wilkes said. “We’ll stay at the sprinting distance now. Anywhere from six to seven furlongs will be ideal for her.”

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez is scheduled to ride Into Champagne for the first time.

Spirit Wind enters the Hurricane Bertie in winning form, coming off a victory in the 5 1/2-furlong Poinsettia Stakes at Oaklawn on Dec. 24. The 6-year-old daughter of Bahamian Squall, favored at 8-5 on the morning line, has won eight of 16 careers starts, including a victory in the Honorable Miss (G2) at Saratoga last summer.

“She’s a very consistent mare. She was good horse before we got her, and she’s carried on to be a good mare,” said Saffie Joseph Jr. who took over training the Florida-bred mare following a private purchase a year ago. “She likes Gulfstream. She’s back here now. Six-and-a-half (furlongs)is probably the max distance-wise, but it’s well within her reach. Hopefully, she’ll put it a big performance.”

Spirit Wind will be joined in the starting gate by Joseph stablemates R Disaster and Save Time.

R Disaster is a speedster who has won four of six starts with two second-place finishes. Joseph is well aware that Spirit Wind and R Disaster both figure to be forwardly placed from the start of the Hurricane Bertie.

“They do have similar styles, but Spirit Wind can sit off it a little bit. R Disaster’s never sat. She’s speed. Spirit Wind is versatile,” Joseph said. “They’re both forward-running horses, that’s why we put Save Time in there, if the race falls apart. Save Time is not fast on numbers, but I really like that horse. She hasn’t shown it yet, but I really like that horse a lot.”

Luis Saez is set to ride Spirit Wind for the first time, and Edgard Zayas is named on R Disaster and Drayden Van Dyke has the call on Save Time, who broke her maiden last time out.

Nic’s Style is rated second at 9-5 on the morning line off a record of 7: 6-1-0. The Bill Mott trainee debuted with a 6 1/2-length victory and came back to win an optional-claiming allowance by 10 1/4 lengths last season at Gulfstream. The 5-year-old daughter of Uncaptured is coming off back-to-back stakes victories at Tampa Bay Downs.

Junior Alvarado has the call on Nic’s Style.

Post	Silks	Horse / Sire	Rating	Trainer / Jockey	Last start	Morn. line
1		Nic’s Style Uncaptured	6.17	Bill Mott Junior Alvarado	1st, 2025 Minaret	9-5
Last race		1st, 2025 Minaret
2		Into Champagne Into Mischief	6.42	Ian Wilkes John Velazquez	7th, 2024 Kentucky Oaks G1	4-1
Last race		7th, 2024 Kentucky Oaks G1
3		Ruthless Rua Distorted Humor		Sam Wilensky Edwin Gonzalez	3rd, 2025 Minaret	15-1
Last race		3rd, 2025 Minaret
4		R Disaster Awesome Slew		Saffie Joseph Jr. Edgard Zayas	1st, GP, alw OC, 1/18/2025 R10	9-2
Last race		1st, GP, alw OC, 1/18/2025 R10
5		Save Time Into Mischief		Saffie Joseph Jr. Drayden Van Dyke	1st, GP, MSW, 2/13/2025 R4	20-1
Last race		1st, GP, MSW, 2/13/2025 R4
6		Spirit Wind Bahamian Squall	6.53	Saffie Joseph Jr. Luis Saez	1st, 2024 Poinsettia	8-5
Last race		1st, 2024 Poinsettia
7		Done Enough Flameaway		Kent Sweezey Paco Lopez	1st, GP, alw OC, 2/16/2025 R8	20-1
Last race		1st, GP, alw OC, 2/16/2025 R8