Virginia-bred Stellar Wind is now likely to be the favorite for the Grade I Kentucky Oaks on May 1 after a dominant win in the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks on Saturday.
Virginia-bred Stellar Wind wins the Grade I $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks April 4, 2015 at Santa Anita.
Bred by Keswick Stables and Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, the daughter of Curlin romped by 5 1/4-lengths in the 1 1/16-mile race. It was her second start for current connections Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler–the 3-year-old began her career with owner Barbara Houck and trainer Donald Barr in Maryland, where in her second start she broke her maiden over a mile by the better part of 9 lengths. After that December victory, she was sold to her West Coast connections, immediately making good on the purchase with a 2 3/4-length victory in the Grade III Santa Ysabel over 1 1/16 miles.
Virginia-bred Stellar Wind wins the Grade I $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks April 4, 2015 at Santa Anita.
Sadler believes the longer Oaks distance will be ideal for his charge.
“She really wants more distance,” Sadler told The Bloodhorse. “This horse has a tremendous amount of stamina. It worked well last time. She broke a little slow (in the Santa Ysabel) and settled off kind of a slow pace, and so today, I said, ‘I wouldn’t change anything. Do what you’ve been doing.'”
Stellar Wind as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic.
Stellar Wind is out of the Malibu Moon mare Evening Star, herself a half sister to two stakes winners: Zenith, the dam of Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (gr. I) winner Great Hunter, and Im Out First, dam of two stakes winners including Im a Dixie Girl. Stellar Wind was an $86,000 yearling purchase for Barbara Houck at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic September sale.