Stellar Wind Wears Down Beholder Again
Stellar Wind and Beholder put on another fabulous show today in the $300,000 Gr1 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita, and for the second straight time, Stellar Wind came out on top after a stretch long dual. These two were last seen on the track together 63 days ago in the Gr1 Clement Hirsch where they dueled from the five-sixteenths pole to the wire. This time around, they went at it from the half mile pole to the wire. Owned by Hronis Racing, Stellar Wind edged away in the last 150 yards to prevail over a very game Beholder by a neck.
When the small field of five left the gate, it was the 2-5 favorite, Beholder, from post position two, who broke the best and was eager for the lead. Tara’s Tango also broke well and jockey Martin Garcia sent her along from post position four to apply some early pressure to the favorite as the field passed the stands for the first time. Stellar Wind, who broke from the five hole under jockey Victor Espinoza, was a length back in third, racing in the clear to the outside of Tara’s Tango. Vale Dori and Off the Road were another length back in fourth and fifth.
As the quintet made the run into the backstretch, jockey Gary Stevens had Beholder on a long rein and sat chilly on the lead by a half length as Tara’s Tango hung in there in second. Stellar Wind was lapped to the outside of Tara’s Tango, a head back in third. After a half in 46.23, Tara’s Tango couldn’t keep up and the race was on. Beholder and Stellar Wind proceeded to pull away from the field with Beholder holding a narrow head advantage after three quarters in 1:09.75. It was a widening four lengths back to Vale Dori (Arg), who moved through on the inside to take over third.
As the two champions entered the stretch, they were nose and nose. Gary Stevens and Beholder were on the inside, Victor Espinoza and Stellar Wind on the outside. Espinoza gave Stellar Wind a few right handed reminders and Stellar Wind responded by gaining a narrow advantage. To her credit, Beholder wasn’t through and came back on the inside. As they crossed the wire, it was Stellar Wind by a neck but Beholder was not losing ground though was very game to the wire. It was almost twelve lengths back to third place finisher Vale Dori (Arg).
For Stellar Wind, this was her second straight Grade I win. Stellar Wind has run three times this year, all against Beholder. In her 2016 debut she ran second to Beholder in the Gr1 Vanity Mile in early June. The light campaign was the plan all along for the four-year-old daughter of Curlin, designed to get her to the Breeders’ Cup in the best condition as possible. Trainer John Sadler wanted a fresh horse for the Breeders’ Cup run on her home track. Sadler commented on her after the race saying, “We thought she’d be a better four-year-old. These mares peak at four and she’s a bigger, stronger horse this year. She’s relatively fresh and we get to go into the Breeders’ Cup off of three starts. We’re looking forward to it.”
Jockey Victor Espinoza commented after the race saying that today’s win was a little easier than her last win over Beholder saying, “It’s a great day. I worked harder in her last race, the Clement Hirsch, than I did today. It’s always good to be next to Beholder, next to the queen, it’s always a plus. To be able to pull away the last eighth, it’s not easy! It’s hard but Stellar Wind is an incredible mare and she will continue to be good.”
With the win today, Stellar Wind sent a very clear message that she is the leader of her division and the favorite for the Eclipse award for older female. Cavorting and Beholder will certainly have something to say about that come Breeders’ Cup Day, but for now, the connections of Stellar Wind intend to let this win soak in.
As for Beholder, she again ran well in defeat. She was as game as ever and simply ran into a better horse again today. If she has lost a step, it hasn’t been much. She still looks to be on top of her game, but over her last three starts she has faced high quality opponents. Her trainer Richard Mandella still has the Breeders' Cup as his target with his mare saying, “We’ll go to the Distaff from here. My mare didn’t look like she ever gave up and those two finished well clear of the rest of them. We didn’t really intend to go to the lead, but with a five-horse field, what are you gonna do? Not to make excuses, but yes, I think a full field will help us next time.”
Gary Stevens offered no excuses for Beholder afterwards saying, "Nothing really went wrong, except I was on the lead and a sitting duck once again. No pace except for me, and realistic fractions. I flat got out-run. I have no excuses."
This sets up a fascinating Breeders’ Cup Distaff which will feature the three-year-old super filly Songbird taking on a tough group of elders in Stellar Wind, Beholder, Cavorting, Forever Unbridled, and more. The Eclipse award will be on the line for one division while Songbird already has her divisional award wrapped up.
Stellar Wind was bred in Virginia by Keswick Stables and Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings. Stellar Winds record now stands at 11-7-2-1 and she earned $180,000 with the win today boosting her earnings to $1,353,200. Final time of the race was 1:41.80. The winner paid $6.00, $2.20, and $2.10. Beholder paid $2.10 and $2.10, while Vale Dori (Arg) paid $2.40.