Stellar Wind Goes Long in Santa Anita Breeze
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Stellar Wind
Hronis Racing's Stellar Wind put in a seven-furlong breeze Oct. 17 at Santa Anita Park, covering the distance in 1:27 1/5 in her penultimate drill in preparation for the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I).
"She started two lengths behind her workmate and finished five in front, so it was pretty strong," trainer John Sadler said.
The 3-year-old Curlin filly, who has four graded wins this year—including the Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I)—has had five timed workouts since a 4 1/4-length victory in the Torrey Pines Stakes (gr. III) at Del Mar in August.
BALAN: Stellar Wind Dominant in Torrey Pines
Sadler, who decided to bypass the Zenyatta (gr. I) and Spinster (gr. I) as preps for the Distaff, said Stellar Wind will likely have a five-furlong blowout Oct. 23 before shipping to Keeneland.
"This was her long one, then she'll go five eighths Friday," Sadler said.
Two-time grade I winner Wild Dude also worked five furlongs in 1:02 2/5 Saturday morning for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer in preparation for the TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I). It was the 5-year-old son of Wildcat Heir 's second work since a hard-earned victory in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (gr. I) Oct. 3, his second grade I victory this year.
A pair of likely Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) longshots also breezed in the last session at the Southern California racetrack. Smooth Roller, runaway winner in the Awesome Again (gr. I) Sept. 26, drilled five furlongs in 1:01 flat, while Gold Cup at Santa Anita (gr. I) victor Hard Aces, another Sadler/Hronis runner, breezed the same distance in 1:00 2/5.