Southwind Gendry may not have accomplished what his connections had hoped during his four-year-old season, but the speedy stakes winner kicked off his 2023 campaign impressively on Saturday (March 4) at The Meadowlands.

Over his two- and three-year-old seasons, Southwind Gendry averaged $515,820 for trainer Ron Burke but only banked $64,831 in 14 starts in 2022 as a four-year-old. His five-year-old season shows signs of promise after besting two accomplished rivals in his return to action.

Joe Bongiorno picked up the driving assignment on Southwind Gendry in the afternoon's third qualifier, leaving from post six. To his inside, 2022 O'Brien Award finalist Tattoo Artist (Dexter Dunn, post one) and veteran triple millionaire This Is The Plan (Yannick Gingras, post three). Clearly, Southwind Gendry had his work cut out for him.

And while it was only a qualifying mile, Southwind Gendry did emerge victorious and looked good in doing so. Bongiorno hustled Southwind Gendry out to the lead, and fronted the group of older pacers through a :29.2 opening quarter. Pocket-sitter This Is The Plan looped his stablemate and landed on top before hitting the half in :57.3.

Tattoo Artist sat third behind that front tandem and was unhurried through the first three panels as This Is The Plan tripped the third timer in 1:25. Southwind Gendry didn't get asked until the stretch drive, and under Bongiorno urging paced powerfully past his rival for the 1:52.1 decision. This Is The Plan was a length back in second with Tattoo Artist two lengths off the leader under a hand drive to Dunn to finish third.

Southwind Gendry (Always B Miki - Gamblers Passion) is co-owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC along with Phillip Collura, Knox Services Inc. and JandT Silva Purnel And Libby. The 16-time winner sports a mark of 1:49.1 taken in his Meadowlands Pace elim (pictured above).

The fastest mile of the qualifying session was a 1:50.2 sizzler from four-year-old pacing mare Sweet Treasure in her second appearance of the season.

Andy McCarthy engineered the winning effort, a wire-to-wire win for trainer Nancy Takter and owner Hot Lead Farm LLC.