Stellar Wind the Sentimental Pegasus Favorite Out West

When the morning-line odds were posted for the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), there was not much love for Stellar Wind.

The first female to compete in the world's richest race was pegged at a lofty price of 30-1 for the Jan. 27 showdown at Gulfstream Park.

Yet in parts of California, Stellar Wind promises to be an odds-on sentimental favorite.

"I'll be pulling for her," said Kosta Hronis. "I'll be with her every inch of the way over that mile and an eighth on Saturday."

For the California-based trio of Hronis, his brother Pete, and their trainer John Sadler, the Pegasus will be filled with a gamut of emotions.

After watching Stellar Wind grow from a precocious 2-year-old, to a champion at 3, and finally a $2.2 million earner, all while carrying the colors of Hronis Racing, they will watch one of her races from a new perspective. They are now the former connections of the 6-year-old mare, who was sold to the Coolmore team of Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Susan Magnier for $6 million at the Keeneland November sale and will race in her new owners' $1 million spot in the Pegasus.

"Regardless of what silks she wears, she'll always be our horse," Kosta Hronis said. "We're going to love her and root for her."

Kosta Hronis said he was not surprised by Coolmore's decision to run Stellar Wind in the Pegasus despite the poor effort in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). He was advised by the new connections after the sale that it was a distinct possibility.

After failing to fire in the Distaff at Del Mar and finishing eighth and last behind the victorious Forever Unbridled, Stellar Wind will take on Horse of the Year Gun Runner  and the top five finishers in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).

Yet Sadler insists the Distaff was merely a glitch and not reflective of the mare souring on racing after a career in which she won 10 of her 15 prior starts with six grade 1 wins.

"It was a really disappointing race. She just didn't run well that day. She coughed a lot after it because she took in so much dirt while she was caught on the inside part of the track, which wasn't the place to be that day. I could only give her one perfunctory look after the race before she headed to Kentucky (for the sale)," Sadler said. "I really couldn't go over her in depth after the race, but she came out looking OK in a first look the day after the race. (Jockey Victor Espinoza) thought she didn't fire her race that day and he thought it had to do with the track. It was extremely disappointing, but in horse racing you have to move on. It's onwards and upwards."

When Kosta Hronis saw his Virginia-bred mare the morning after the Nov. 3 Distaff, he said he saw the mare who was undefeated in three prior 2017 starts—all in grade 1 stakes—and not the one who trailed in what was believed to be her final start.

"She had such a great career, but she seemed a little odd that day at Del Mar for the Breeders' Cup. She wasn't herself, even though she loves Del Mar. She didn't break and she didn't run. It was just one of those days. It wasn't her day," the owner said. "We thought the year before, because we had her in the Zenyatta (G1), she didn't have enough time to recover and (finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Distaff). Then we didn't run after the (grade 1) Clement L. Hirsch (July 30) and I heard all the talk that we were off too long.

"Who knows? She was just flat. It was too bad, because the next day she looked like she didn't run, which I guess she didn't. She was perfect the next morning. She was bouncy and on her toes like her old self. She then looked beautiful at the sale from head to toe, so I can understand why they would want to take a chance with her in the Pegasus."

Coolmore, an original stakeholder in the Pegasus, liked what they saw in the daughter of Curlin  enough to send her to two-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown to train for her first start against males in a formidable spot. Stellar Wind, who drew post 5, will be ridden by Joel Rosario for the first time.

"She's all class. She came to me in very good condition and is training very well," Brown said. "I'm very pleased with the post and Joel fits her well judging by her races. I have a lot of confidence in him in big races. Hopefully it will work out for us.

"The last horse I trained for Coolmore was Minorette, who won the (2014) Belmont Oaks (G1T). I was excited and honored they would trust me and my team with a horse of this caliber that they spent so much money on. Hopefully we'll be able to lead her over there Saturday and have some success."

As much as anyone, including Gulfstream's oddsmaker, Brown knows Stellar Wind will be facing the toughest challenge of her career.

"It's a tall order," noted Brown, who also said he has not been told if Stellar Wind will continue to race. "She'll have to run the race of her lifetime to have a chance (in the Pegasus), but she's all class. She's had an outstanding career and if she runs her best race, she can be competitive, though I don't want to underestimate this field. Hopefully there will be a good, quick pace in front of her and she can finish well."

Whether she wins or loses, however, Stellar Wind will always be a champion in the eyes of some people who have known her for years.

"I'm hoping she'll run really well, but I know from racing in California, those colts she's facing are really good. They're top level," Sadler said. "But I'll definitely be rooting for her. She made $2 million for us and we sold her for $6 million and was very good to us. She went home in very good shape, which we are very proud of. Because she's a top-class racehorse, you can't put too much stock in one race. You have to look at her body of work."

And when someone does, they will see it came while wearing not the royal blue and orange of Coolmore, but the green and white of Hronis Racing. The people who, regardless of the odds, will always consider her a favorite in their hearts.