Stellar Wind stays on schedule, Beholder now uncertain for Pacific Classic

DEL MAR, Calif. – The plans for Stellar Wind for the late summer and fall had been set in stone even before she defeated Beholder in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes on Saturday, but the loss by Beholder may alter her near-term schedule, putting in jeopardy a title defense against males in Del Mar’s biggest race of the summer, the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 20.

Stellar Wind has had the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita as her year-end goal, and she’ll race just once before that, in the Grade 1 Zenyatta at Santa Anita on Oct. 1.

Her trainer, John Sadler, at his barn on Sunday morning said he saw “no reason to deviate from that plan.”

“Coming into this year, we gave her plenty of time after last year’s Breeders’ Cup because we wanted a campaign designed to have her at her best at the end of the year,” Sadler said. “The Distaff is right where we want to be with her.”

Stellar Wind finished second last year in the Distaff at Keeneland, but that performance helped secure for her the title as champion 3-year-old filly.

Sadler has won a number of major races during his career, but said Stellar Wind’s victory over Beholder, a three-time Eclipse Award winner and certain Hall of Famer, was “special.”

“You had an Eclipse Award winner against a multiple champion. It was a really special moment, just the feel of it.,” said Sadler, who celebrated his 60th birthday on Saturday.

Sadler said Stellar Wind had emerged from the Hirsch in good order. He jogged her outside his Del Mar barn on Sunday morning -- something he does the day after workouts or races with all his horses -- and said she was fine.

“We’ve got about 60 days until the Zenyatta, and then about five weeks to the Distaff,” Sadler said.

The immediate plans for Beholder are less certain after her loss in the Hirsch, as trainer Richard Mandella said he’ll wait at least a week before deciding whether to move forward with the original plan to again face males in the Pacific Classic, a race Beholder won in a romp last year.

“The next week, we’ll watch her and let her tell us what to do,” Mandella said at his barn on Sunday morning. “But hat’s off to John’s filly,” he said, referring to John Sadler-trained Stellar Wind. “She ran a great race.”

Mandella said Beholder “came out of the race corded up, like she needed it.”

“We’ll think about the Pacific Classic, but I’m not sure now,” he said. “Last year everything went perfect. This wasn’t perfect.”

Beholder won last year’s Hirsch, the championship race of the meet for older females, prior to the Pacific Classic. Mandella said that if anyone is responsible for Beholder losing this year’s Hirsch, it’s him.

“Last year I didn’t train her hard coming into the Hirsch, figuring she’d move forward off that race into the Pacific Classic,” he said. “I thought maybe I could do the same thing again, but I underestimated how good Sadler’s filly is.”

Mandella said Beholder “got a little fat on me.”

“It’s disappointing to get beat, but I think I take the blame here,” Mandella said.