Taken by the Wind runs like the breeze to win Pocahontas

Taken by the Wind split horses coming off the turn and drew away to win by 5 1/4 lengths Saturday in the Grade 3, $300,000 Pocahontas Stakes for seven 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs.

The one-turn mile was the first of 33 points preps for the $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks (G1), which will be run over 1 1/8 miles of the same course Friday night, May 1.

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Trained by Kenny McPeek, Taken by the Wind (6-1) traveled a close fourth up the backstretch rail while Embrace the Moment (9-1) established early splits of 22.75 and 45.57 seconds.

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. tipped Taken by the Wind two wide out of the turn and found a gap between new leaders Dazzling Dame (7-2) and Joke Maker (12-1) just after three-quarters of a mile went in 1:10.48.

Taken by the Wind put her head in front early in the homestretch run, and it was no contest the rest of the way. After seven furlongs in 1:23.43, her winning time was 1:36.50 on the fast main track.

“She broke well. I just let the speed go after that,” Ortiz said. “I tried to let her settle on the rail like she did in her last start. Turning for home there was an opening, and she went through there and opened up. She ran like an older filly today. She’s very exciting.”

Post-time favorite Miss Complicated (9-5) closed late under Julien Leparoux and came in second. Joke Maker finished third, Dazzling Dame fourth and Our Two Girls (5-2) fifth. There were 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points awarded to the top five finishers.

Taken by the Wind returned $14.10, $5.18 and $3.82; Miss Complicated $3.78 and $2.72; and Joke Maker $3.62.

Owned by Sherri McPeek’s Magdalena Racing, Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw and Graham Leveston, Taken by the Wind is a Rock Your World filly who won her debut Aug. 21 in a seven-furlong allowance race that was taken off the turf.