Proud to be Wild Back on Dirt at Monmouth

Proud to Be Wild will return to the dirt in her second stakes try for trainer Ben Perkins, Jr. in this Sunday’s feature, the Miss Woodford Stakes.

A 3-year-old filly by Wildcat Heir out of Rainbow Pride, Proud to Be Wild is a full sister of Grade 3 Jersey Shore Stakes winner Rainbow Heir. In five career starts, Proud to Be Wild has hit the board in four races, the only exception being her last outing in the Crank It Up Stakes at Monmouth on June 7 when she tried turf for the first time.

“She didn’t seem to handle the turf as well as she might have,” Perkins said. “She looked better on her dirt races before that. Wildcat Heir has done so well with turf horses you kind of have to try them all, but this one certainly didn’t move up. She just never had that kick that you look for when you’re running on the turf. 

“She seemed to come out of the race well though. She’s had a couple nice works since.”

Proud to Be Wild has posted two works since her last race, first breezing four furlongs at Monmouth in :50 flat on June 25, and again working the same distance on July 23 in :49 flat.

Running in the colors of New Farm, Proud to Be Wild will break from post-10 as she tries Monmouth’s main track for the first time in the Miss Woodford. She and a field of 11 other 3-year-old fillies will sprint six furlongs in search of the winner’s share of the $70,000 purse.

“There’s some good speed inside of her,” Perkins said. “Hopefully we’ll get a good trip from the outside. We’ll deal with the outside post. I’d rather be outside than all the way inside if I had the choice.”

Jockey Angel Serpa gets the call aboard Proud to Be Wild in the Miss Woodford, which will go as race 11 on Sunday’s 12-race card.