Stellar Wind stuns Beholder at Del Mar

Moments after Stellar Wind pulled off one of the major upsets in Del Mar history and gave trainer John Sadler a most special 60th birthday gift, owner Kosta Hronis hugged everybody in his path repeatedly screaming, “Down goes Frazier!”

In a fight for the ages, Stellar Wind knocked out the mighty Beholder, edging America’s best mare by half a length after a classic stretch duel in the Grade I $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes in front of a boisterous crowd at the seaside oval.

“You usually don’t get what you want on your birthday,” Sadler said, “but this year I did.”

Stellar Wind is no two-bit runner. She is the reigning Eclipse Award champion for 3-year-old fillies. The chestnut filly — foaled by Curlin out of Evening Star — won for the sixth time in 10 lifetime starts and just topped $1 million in earnings for Hronis and his brother Pete.

“She was ready to go, and I was confident going into the race,” Espinoza said. “It’s all about the confidence, right?”

The overwhelming 1-10 favorite and a three-time reigning Eclipse champion, Beholder had won eight in a row and 17 of 22 starts, including a 1½-length victory over Stellar Wind in the Vanity Mile on June 4 at Santa Anita. Her $4.7 million career earnings is staggering. She won this race last year by seven lengths before whipping the boys in the Pacific Classic by 8¼ lengths in the fastest time ever (1:59.77) for a female at 1¼ miles.

Trained by Richard Mandella and ridden by Gary Stevens — both Hall of Famers — Beholder was thought to be unbeatable against females. Espinoza and Sadler felt differently.

“I kept my mouth shut because I didn’t want to look like an idiot,” Sadler confessed, “but we thought we had a chance.”

A week ago, Espinoza and California Chrome edged Stevens and Dortmund in an equally fantastic stretch duel in the San Diego Handicap.

“It looked very similar,” Sadler said. “When you have two horses like (today), it’s almost like a match race.”

Beholder broke first from the No. 1 post and held a slight lead until just beyond seven furlongs. Stellar Wind stalked closely and finally got even at the top of the stretch and finally got ahead in the final sixteenth under the urging of Espinoza, who guided American Pharoah to the first Triple Crown in 37 years in 2015.

“At the three-furlong pole,” Stevens said, “I saw that shadow [Stellar Wind], and I knew we might have a race.”

Said Espinoza, “I knew I was riding against a Hall of Famer and also the best mare in the country. It’s not easy. But with a little luck and a little talent, we got it done.”

Stellar Wind won in 1:41.24 and paid $11. Divina Comedia was nine lengths behind Beholder, followed by Off The Road and The Dream.

The dream for many fans was to have Beholder battle California Chrome and Dortmund in the Pacific Classic on Aug. 20. It still could happen, if Mandella decides to run Beholder.

Stellar Wind has been pointed to the Breeders Cup Distaff, a race she lost by a nose last year. With this win, she earned an automatic paid return trip to the Distaff on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.

Asked if he might consider Stellar Wind for the Pacific Classic, Sadler responded slyly:

“Right now, I’m considering a margarita!”

Etc.

Lord Nelson and Subtle Indian headline a field of eight expected starters in today’s Grade I $300,000 Bing Crosby Stakes, a 6-furlong race that often determines the meet’s sprint champion and carries a paid entry into the Breeders Cup Sprint on Nov. 5 at Santa Anita. Top jock Flavien Prat and Hall of Famer Mike Smith, respectively, get the mounts on Lord Nelson (2-1 odds) and Subtle Indian (5-2), who finished 1-2 in the seven-furlong Grade I Triple Bend at Santa Anita on June 25. Home Run Kitten (Joe Talamo, 8-1) was fourth in that race. Subtle Indian trainer Robertino Diodoro got his first Del Mar stakes victory last Sunday in the California Dreamin’ Stakes. Bob Baffert trains Lord Nelson and pacesetter Justin Squared.