Santa Anita Oaks Winner Stellar Wind 'Ready to Go'
Santa Anita Oaks winner Stellar Wind, prepping for the May 1 Kentucky Oaks, worked six furlongs Friday in 1:12.80 for John Sadler, who trains the daughter of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin for Hronis Racing LLC.
“Awesome,” said her regular rider, Victor Espinoza, who was aboard for the drill. “She went really good today. Last time she worked good, but this time she was amazing, exactly what John wanted. She’s ready to go.”
So is Espinoza, who has enjoyed a storybook journey the past year as the regular rider not only of Stellar Wind, but of Horse of the Year California Chrome and Kentucky Derby favorite American Pharoah.
“I’m thrilled with how things are going,” the good-natured veteran said. “I had an amazing year and I hope it continues this year. I think I’m just a very lucky jockey.
“I hope the horses I ride stay healthy for the Kentucky Derby and the Oaks and we’ll go from there.”
Espinoza, who has won the Derby twice, on War Emblem in 2002 and California Chrome last year, leaves Monday for Kentucky.
Quick Casablanca seeks his second straight win in the Grade III Last Tycoon Stakes Saturday for two Hall of Fame members, trainer Ron McAnally and jockey Gary Stevens.
Quick Casablanca closed ground to finish eighth by 5 ½ lengths in the Thunder Road at one mile on turf April 4.
It was the first race in nine months for the 7-year-old Chilean-bred horse.
“He’s training very well and we’ve got a good rider,” McAnally said. “Gary’s worked him a couple of times and he’s crying to ride him. The reason the horse didn’t race all that time was because he got cast in his stall at Del Mar, but he’s healed and ready to go again.”
McAnally expects Quick Casablanca to appreciate the added distance of the mile-and-a-quarter Last Tycoon, which also is run on grass. A bay son of Until Sundown, at age three Quick Casablanca won a Group 1 at a mile and a half on turf under 128 pounds in his native Chile in 2012.
The field for the Last Tycoon: Big John B, Mike Smith, 5-2; Power Foot, Rafael Bejarano, 4-1; Ganesh, Flavien Prat, 8-1; Joes Blazing Aaron, Tyler Baze, 8-1; Play Hard to Get, Kent Desormeaux, 8-1; Si Sage, Elvis Trujillo, 20-1; Quick Casanova, Gary Stevens, 3-1; and Abbey Vale, Tiago Pereira, 3-1.