Stellar Wind back to the races? $6 million mare posts workout

By Jonathan Lintner

Have we not seen the last of Stellar Wind on the racetrack?

The champion mare — recently purchased for $6 million by Coolmore at the Keeneland November sale — was scheduled to breed with Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. But Stellar Wind is back in training having posted a half-mile workout Sunday morning in 50 seconds flat at the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida.

Chad Brown is her new conditioner.

After word of the workout leaked, Coolmore issued a news release indicating the mare is "under consideration" for the 2018 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. The race is expected to include both Breeders' Cup Classic winner Gun Runner and Distaff winner Forever Unbridled, among other recent Grade 1 winners.

Stellar Wind was named Champion Three-Year-Old Filly for her 2015 season and went on to earn more than $2.2 million in her 16 starts. Eighth last out in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, the 5-year-old didn’t fire at Del Mar. But she entered in perhaps the best form of her career with a trio of consecutive Grade 1 victories.

A return to the races — or even the work tab — wasn’t expected, as her previous trainer, John Sadler, said at the Keeneland sale that “to see her go is going to be sad, but she’s going on to her next career, so we’re happy that she’s got the world’s best connections.”

However, Stellar Wind did sell as a racing or broodmare prospect. Coolmore can have it both ways, as it indicated she will either way breed to American Pharoah in 2018.

Former owner Kosta Hronis, speaking to TVG on Sunday, said Coolmore indicated at the Keeneland sale one more race may be ahead for Stellar Wind.

"They told us about it right away — what the plan was — so we appreciate that," he said. "We look forward to — we’re on her team, still. We wish her luck.”