Emerald Downs: Win Machine Aloha Breeze wins back-to-back at Turf Paradise

1/1/2025

(Phoenix, AZ) Fans in the NW know the name Aloha Breeze when she unleashed her front-running fury on local 2 year-olds in her 2nd career start in the 50k Barbara Shinpoch Stakes in 2022. Aloha Breeze would rack up 3 straight wins in her 3 year-old season taking both the Seattle and Kent Stakes. Then last season the 4 year-old gray mare needed a race which she ran an even 3rd blew out the field in the Legislators Stakes and capped it with a dazzling 11 length win in the Distaff proving to all those who doubted she could get 2 turns with this dominating performance.

The Distaff was on Mile day, August 11 and trainer Tom Wenzel decided that was enough for the daughter of “The Factor” and “Flashy Doll” and turned her out. Her efforts were enough to be named the top older mare of the 2024 season at Emerald Downs.

Aloha Breeze had raced exclusively at Emerald Downs except for 1 race at Turf Paradise in December of 2022 where she ran a solid 2nd. She was ready to run again in November and the only place that made sense was Turf Paradise so to the sun she went and is trained by Wade Rarick for owner George Todaro. Rarick handled her in 2022 so he was already familiar with Breeze.

New Year’s day was Aloha Breeze’s 3rd start at Turf Paradise this season after finishing 3rd in a Stakes in November and then winning an optional claimer by 3 lengths going 6 furlongs in 1:09.10 as the 1-1 betting choice.

In her 3rd start she was bet down to 6-5 favoritism and shortened up to 5 1/2 furlongs. Aloha Breeze with her regular rider Carlos Montalvo broke a little slower than usual and laid off the pace in 3rd down the backstretch. Montalvo got her to the outside of the 2 paces setters and rolled on by then held off the closers for a long neck win in a final time of 1:03.55.

Aloha Breeze is now 9-2-1 from 14 lifetime starts and added 15k to her bank account that is now at $229,260. Montalvo has ridden her the last 11 starts after Heriberto Martinez rode her 1st 3 races. This was the 8th win for Montalvo aboard Aloha Breeze.