3/7/26

  4  GP   The Hurricane Bertie (GIII)   

$150.000   4yo&Up F&M    6 1/2f  Dirt     124lbs +penalties

This day has the smell of dead-heat… many, many dead heats.  So I committed the cardinal sin… skipped the Mb Stables horses, and, as usual, I paid for it.  As expected it was one hell of a dog-fight and Altered State runs her win-streak to four with a gutsy performance in The Hurricane Bertie (GIII).  Showing her patented speed, she set the pace until Aghast moved up on the far outside to stick a nose in front… but the gray mare was not to be denied on this afternoon, taking a four-horse photo for the victory.  This was her eleventh lifetime win from twenty-one starts, her third win of the ’26 season and she is inching closer to that $1,000.000 earning mark.  Congrats to the connections!

Devil Slayer closed from a stalking position to give the winner all she wanted, but could not get enough momentum to nail her, ending in a dead-heat with my top selection, Lille, for the runner up spot.  Absolute stellar performances for both of these only to split the place/show money.  The winner’s stablemate, Aghast, ran a huge race as well, but the wide turn into the lane may have cost her a better finish after gaining a slight advantage at the furlong marker, only to get nosed out for a better payday, taking the minor portion of the $150.000 purse.  The final running time was 1:15.48 for the six and a half furlongs over the Fast main track, here in Hallandale.  Four lengths covered the field of twelve and we had a single scratch in Anatolia (ae). 

$2 Mutuel Prices: 

Winner: Altered State   5yo gr M  Smokin Luka – Shes Irrational by Fire N Furey
Owner: Mb Stables  Breeder: Mb Stables (ON)
Track: Fast          Time: :22¹  :45²  1:09¹  1:15²
$1 Exacta: 12 – 2 Paid 33.40, 12 – 3 Paid 52.60     $1 Trifecta: 12 – 2 – 3 Paid 631.60, 12 – 3 – 2 Paid 631.60
Scratched: Anatolia (ae)

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES