Stellar Wind sails to Santa Anita Oaks score

Stellar Wind was an easy winner of the Santa Anita Oaks (Benoit Photos)

Stellar Wind (Curlin) bobbled at the start of Saturday’s $400,500
Santa
Anita Oaks (G1) but that didn’t stop the John Sadler trainee from drawing
off to a 5 1/4-length victory as the 6-5 favorite.

It was the chestnut filly’s third straight triumph and she earned 100 points
toward a guaranteed spot in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) starting gate on May 1 at
Churchill Downs. Stellar Wind now sits third on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard
behind Condo Commando (Tiz Wonderful) and I’m a Chatterbox (Munnings).

“She really wants more
distance,” Sadler stated. “This horse has a tremendous amount of stamina. It worked well last
time (Santa Ysabel S. [G3]). She broke a little slow (in that race) and settled off kind
of a slow pace, and so today, I said, ‘I wouldn’t change anything. Do what
you’ve been doing.’

“The plan is to go the Kentucky Oaks. That’s the idea. It’s a month
away so the spacing is right. Hopefully, we’ll be there the day before the
(Kentucky) Derby.”

Kosta and Peter Hronis, who compete as Hronis Racing LLC, purchased Stellar
Wind soon after the filly’s dominating 8 3/4-length maiden win at Laurel Park on
December 18.

Stellar Wind will head to the Kentucky Oaks on a three-race win streak (Benoit Photos)

“I thought it was good to be three-wide. I thought it was going to help me
get the speed in front of me. It didn’t look like much but those two went and I
was able to move out a little at the half-mile pole,” jockey Victor Espinoza
explained. “I knew they were going to slow down on the front so I
didn’t want to be stuck in behind horses. Sometimes it’s better to go a little
wide and then they’re running free.

“Today, I rode her a little bit more because I think she needs a good race
before going into the Kentucky Oaks. Her last race was too easy for her. I
wanted a harder race for her today.

“I think she’s a Kentucky Oaks filly. I have confidence because she can do anything. That’s what I like about her.
I can put her inside, I can swing her to the outside, I can go wide and it’s
still OK. She’s such a big filly, with such a long stride that it’s easy for
her.”

Luminance suffered her first career loss while making her stakes bow in this
spot, but still earned 40 points to be 15th on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard.
Wild at Heart (Indian Charlie) finished a one-paced third, three lengths behind
Luminance, to garner 20 points and the 22nd spot on the leaderboard. Curlin’s
Fox (Smart Strike), trying dirt for the first time in the Santa Anita Oaks, was
awarded 10 points.

“My horse was pretty fresh, and she
broke really sharp,” said Luminance’s rider, Martin Garcia. “She was in a good position, and she made a move, but the
winner just ran by me. She was very impressive. She ran well. She’ll be ready
for next time. I didn’t think the pace was that fast.”