Stellar Wind Remains on Schedule for Distaff

John Sadler could have done what many other trainers did a week ahead of the Breeders' Cup—move Stellar Wind's scheduled workout up because of looming storms in Southern California.

He also could have worked her during the second training session at Santa Anita Park Oct. 28, to see more of the Curlin   filly than just a blinking, white light through the early-morning darkness in the backstretch.

But more than a few horsemen have their superstitions, and this one is no different. Everything has gone right for Stellar Wind leading up to and during her last two starts, and Sadler is going to take every measure not to change a thing before her next run in the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I).

"I'm not thrilled about working her in the dark at 6:30 (a.m.), but I'm not doing anything different," Sadler said of Stellar Wind's six-furlong drill, in company with fellow grade I winner Hard Aces, in 1:13 1/5. "She worked at 6:30 every time before the last race, so it's about John's little superstitions. It would be nice to actually see her at 7:45."

In Sadler's mind, he dodged a bullet for Stellar Wind's final Breeders' Cup drill, as the storm that triggered flash-flood warnings in Los Angeles County was late to arrive Friday morning in Arcadia, Calif. Moving the work for weather would have thrown off the routine—not to mention the mojo.

"That's why I was extra happy this morning," Sadler said. "An East Coast trainer has (some) of his brain devoted to weather. A California trainer has one-eighth of that."

As for the intricacies of the work, Stellar Wind broke off behind her stablemate, who was barely visible to the naked eye down the backstretch. She moved alongside Hard Aces in the stretch and the pair caught additional company, but easily moved by on the outside and proceeded to the wire. Stellar Wind required some asking from regular exercise rider Jose Contreras in the final furlong to get by Hard Aces on the outside, but that is not out of the ordinary for her. Hard Aces ran the six furlongs in 1:13 3/5 and Stellar Wind galloped out to seven furlongs in 1:26 flat.

"That's her work," Sadler said. "She's that 'B' to 'B-plus' worker if you read the workout reports. She's not like a pure (Bob) Baffert (horse), going fast all the time. We're just staying with what we've been doing. We can breathe a little sigh of relief, especially sweating the weather."

Also on the work tab during the early session were Breeders' Cup workers Tara's Tango (Filly & Mare Sprint, five furlongs in :59 4/5), Kitcat (Mile, five furlongs in :59 3/5), and Partyinthepaddock (pre-entered in Juvenile Fillies Turf, five furlongs in 1:00).