Stellar Wind bound for Kentucky Oaks

ARCADIA, Calif. – Stellar Wind is bound for the $1 million Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 1 after her comprehensive win in the $400,500 Santa Anita Oaks on Saturday. She may be the only runner from that field bound for the lucrative race for 3-year-old fillies.

On Sunday, trainer Bob Baffert said the runner-up Luminance will be sent to Churchill Downs, but her participation in the Kentucky Oaks is uncertain.

Stellar Wind is unbeaten in two starts this year and will be a leading contender and possibly the favorite for the Kentucky Oaks, which is run at 1 1/8 miles.

In the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks at 1 1/16 miles, Stellar Wind closed from last in a field of seven to win by 5 1/4 lengths under jockey Victor Espinoza. Stellar Wind won the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 28 in her first start after being purchased privately over the winter by Hronis Racing and turned over to trainer John Sadler.

On Sunday, Sadler said Stellar Wind will be based at Santa Anita for most of April before traveling to Kentucky days before the race.

“My inclination is to not go very early,” he said. “She looked pretty good [Saturday].”

Sadler declined to state the purchase price when Stellar Wind was acquired from Maryland.

“She wasn’t cheap, but she was not outrageous by today’s standards,” he said. “You hope you buy a nice horse. She trained so well when she got here.”

Sadler had his best day of the year Saturday, winning four races, including the $82,000 Thunder Road Stakes at a mile on turf with Talco. The Thunder Road was Talco’s first stakes win since arriving from France last summer.

Late last year, Talco was third in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby behind California Chrome at Del Mar in November and a troubled fifth, beaten 1 3/4 lengths, in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile on Dec. 26. Talco won an optional claimer on turf March 12.

“Now we’ve strung a couple of good trips together,” Sadler said. “I thought he was the best horse in the Mathis Brothers Mile. He ran against California Chrome. I’d like to keep him at a mile or a mile and a sixteenth.”

Sadler said one possible race for Talco in coming months is the $400,000 Shoemaker Mile on June 13, which offers an automatic berth to the winner for the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 31.