Stellar Wind Makes 2017 Debut in Apple Blossom

Hronis Racing LLC’s champion Stellar Wind is scheduled to arrive Tuesday afternoon from Southern California and will make her five-year-old debut in Friday’s $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1). It will be her first race since finishing four in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff Nov. 4.

“We gave her a vacation after the Breeders’ Cup, and with Southern California having such a wet January and February – we were going to be pressed to have her ready for the Santa Margarita,” trainer John Sadler said. “The Apple Blossom is such a classic and prestigious race too.”

Stellar Wind recorded a 5F work at Santa Anita April 7 in 1:00.3 with regular exercise rider Jose Contreras up. Contreras, who will make the trip to Hot Springs, is also the brother of local jockey Luis Contreras. Victor Espinoza will be aboard the 3yo Champion filly on race day.

Sadler will also be sending Oaklawn Handicap contender Accelerate, Count Fleet contender Moe Candy and Northern Spur entrant Cistron on a Tex Sutton flight which will depart on Tuesday. The horses will train at Oaklawn Wednesday morning.

Multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Streamline completed major preparations for Friday’s Apple Blossom by working a half-mile in :52.20 over a fast track Monday morning for trainer Brian Williamson.

The consistent and durable Streamline is coming off a one-length victory in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) March 18, the final major local prep for the 1 1/16-mile Apple Blossom.

Streamline was the only horse to run in all four of Oaklawn’s two-two stakes races for older fillies and mares last year, winning the $100,000 Pippin Stakes, finishing second in the $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3), third in the Azeri and second in the Apple Blossom. Before winning the Azeri, Streamline ran third in this year’s Pippin and Bayakoa.

Williamson said there are no thoughts at this time of retiring Streamline, who races for his mother-in-law, Nancy Vanier, also the 5-year-old’s breeder, and Cartwright Thoroughbreds V LLC.

“We breed horses to own,” Williamson said. “We do have enough, but if she can make money next year and is sound, as long as she is OK, we might just go ahead run her another year as long as her performance doesn’t decline too much.”

Streamline, an Illinois-bred daughter of Straight Line has finished first, second or third in 16 of 17 career starts and earned $601,566.

Williamson and Vanier also campaigned Straight Line and Streamline’s dam, Love Handles.

Oaklawn Handicap Distance Suits Accelerate

Trainer John Sadler said the 1 1/8-mile distance of Saturday’s $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) was one of the main reason he selected the race for Hronis Racing LLC’s Accelerate, who has been second or third in his last three starts.

“He ran well in the Breeders’ Cup Mile and got unlucky in his next couple of races, the San Pasqual (came out at the start) and San Antonio (got away slow),” Sadler said. “We skipped the Big Cap as the 1 ¼ isn’t ideal and thought this would be a good spot.”

Tyler Baze was up for Accelerate’s recent April 7 work at Santa Anita where he is stabled. He recorded  6F in 1:12.4 and will also be aboard for the Oaklawn Handicap. Baze has ridden him in all 9 career starts.

Chanel’s Legacy Comfortable in Hood

She’s a multiple stakes winner who lives in the hood. Chanel’s Legacy, scheduled to run in Friday’s $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies, is one of trainer Lynn Chleborad’s horses who runs in a hood, or titanium fabric mask, designed to promote focus and relaxation.

“ThunderShirt for a dog is what I compare it to,” Chleborad said. “That’s exactly what it’s like.”

Chleborad said the mask’s material was originally developed for astronauts to combat “anxiety in space.”

“And truthfully, I don’t know how it works,” Chleborad said. “But, it works on some horses, just to relieve the anxiety. It was brought to my attention by a veterinarian, who observed it when he was working with some of his other clients. Me, I’m pretty hard to sell to. I’m like, ‘Yeah, right,’ because it really just looks like material. There’s nothing in it that you could tell.”

Chleborad said she began using the product, which resembles a blinker hood, last summer, adding it is becoming more popular with trainers. She said she doesn’t use it on all of her horses, but Chanel’s Legacy trains and races in a titanium fabric mask. Chanel’s Legacy won the $125,000 Dixie Belle Stakes Jan. 21 and $125,000 Martha Washington Stakes Feb. 11.

“Like I said, it doesn’t help everyone,” Chleborad said. “But, if it even helps one horse, it would be worth it.”

One company sells the titanium fabric mask online for $72.

Oaklawn denote horses wearing the “hood” during races in the program.

In other Fantasy Stakes news, Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale was spending his first morning in the Oaklawn barn area overseeing the care of his filly Vexatious, who has been in Hot Springs since vanning here from Fair Grounds shortly after finishing third in the Fair Grounds Oaks April 1.

“She’s settled in quite nicely here at Oaklawn and has handled everything well. We will take her out for a nice little trot today. We are happy to be here.”

Source: Oaklawn Park