Zenyatta Stakes 2016: Beholder and Stellar Wind go at it again

Saturday marks round 3 of the newly formed rivalry between champion mare Beholder and 2015 three-year-old Eclipse Award winning filly Stellar Wind. What a battle it should be.

The $300,000 Grade I Zenyatta Stakes is the ninth race on a star-studded eleven-race card at Santa Anita Park that also includes the return of 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome in the Awesome Again Stakes.

The Zenyatta drew a compact field of five and while it may not offer horseplayers much value at the windows, it should offer plenty of drama in the stretch. When Stellar Wind entered the starting gates for the first start of her four-year-old campaign in the Grade I Vanity Mile on June 4, it was not known whether she was classy enough to compete with Beholder. She raced well off the bench that day, but was still soundly defeated by the daughter of Henny Hughes.

The Curlin filly’s connections were quietly confident she could move forward in her second start of 2016, but most horseplayers gave her little chance to turn the tables on the champ when they met in the Grade I Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar on July 30. Beholder went off at 1-9 that Saturday afternoon in San Diego County, but Stellar Wind’s rider Victor Espinoza hounded the favorite from the start and eventually wore her down for a half-length score.

Since the Clement L. Hirsch, trainer John Sadler has given his star filly time to prepare for the Zenyatta, and of course, the ultimate goal, the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. She should be well rested and will need to be, as she looks to take the rubber match and head into the Breeders’ Cup full of confidence.

When asked about Saturday’s race, Sadler said, “I’m excited. The Zenyatta is the last prep before the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and it’s going to be another classic match up.” He seemed confident in how his filly will perform declaring, “Stellar Wind has trained really well and hasn’t missed a day or an oat or anything since her last race, so we’re looking forward to it.”

She worked six furlongs last Saturday in 1:12.40 over the Santa Anita surface in her final drill before the Zenyatta.

The Richard Mandella conditioned Beholder enters Saturday having lost two in a row for the first time in her twenty-four race career. Most recently she ran a strong second in the one million dollar Pacific Classic, but was no match for eventual winner California Chrome. Despite being defeated soundly, she put forth the best effort of her 2016 campaign and appears ready to run two big ones to close the season.

Beholder has dominated the Zenyatta over the past few years winning each of the last three renditions. With a win on Saturday, she will become the first four-time winner of the event.

Much like Stellar Wind’s connections, Beholder’s team is quite pleased with how their mare is training leading up to the Zenyatta. The three-time Eclipse Award winner worked six furlongs last Friday morning in a time of 1:12.60. Mandella stated, “Beholder went great. She never looked better.”

Regular rider Gary Stevens was on board for the workout and agreed with the Hall of Fame conditioner saying, “It was an excellent work. She’s happy, and if she’s happy, I’m happy.”

The other three competitors will need to run the race of their lives to hit the wire first, but likely are just hoping for a minor share.

Argentinian-bred Vale Dori enters the Zenyatta off a three and a half length victory in the Tranquility Lake at Del Mar. The Asiatic Boy filly has won three of seven and has put forth two solid efforts for trainer Bob Baffert since arriving in the States, but will need to move forward quite a bit to compete with the top two.

Stonestreet Stables Tara’s Tango has only been off the board once in seven tries at The Great Race Place, but has won only twice. When last seen she put forth an impressive late run off the layoff in the Grade III Rancho Bernardo at Del Mar. She goes sprint-to-route on Saturday for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and certainly has some talent, but has never proven she can run with the likes of Beholder and Stellar Wind. Nonetheless, she has three graded stakes wins and could move forward in this spot.

Brazilian-bred Off the Road rounds out the five horse field. The stable mate of Beholder was soundly defeated in the Clement L. Hirsch and appears overmatched once again in the Zenyatta.

The Zenyatta is scheduled to go to the post at 4:30 PM local time and makes up the second leg of Saturday’s late Pick 4.