USING the most over-used, two-word quote from an average American movie, owner Kosta Hronis summed up Stellar Wind’s status in the female dirt division.

“She’s back.” Yes, indeed, Stellar Wind is back.

The daughter of Curlin returned for her five-year-old season with an easy win the Grade 1 Apple Blossom in April and tacked on the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita last Saturday.

Trained by John Sadler and ridden by Victor Espinoza, Stellar Wind capitalized on a scratch-depleted field of three in the $400,000 stakes, allowing her to find the sweet stalking spot between Argentine-bred Vale Dori and Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Finest City. It was up to Espinoza to pull the trigger and Stellar Wind landed the bullet, wrestling a neck margin on Vale Dori. To Espinoza, it was a neck in the chart only.

“She won’t do much on her own. She’s amazing, she’s an incredible mare, but I have to do my job. She always wins by enough. I have to encourage her to go forward. She’s been like that from the first day I rode her,” Espinoza said.

“I was mostly focused on my own horse, making sure she was doing it nice and easy. She has so much power that it’s hard for any other horse to beat her when it comes to head and head down the lane.”

Stellar Wind notched her ninth career win and earned another cheque to push her over the $2 million mark in career earnings.

“She’s been training great. She’s even stronger than she was last year at this point in the year so we’re really excited. We were ready to go,” Sadler said. “We respect everybody in here. This is a very good group. She’s so tough. She doesn’t lose photos. We’re thrilled.”

It’s rare for a horse to win a stakes named after a nemesis. Beholder vanquished Stellar Wind twice and Stellar Wind returned the favour twice. Legends, Beholder retired after winning the Breeders’ Cup Distaff last year, while Stellar Wind, fourth that day, returned for her five-year-old season.

“She’s so game, that’s why she wins these races. Our whole deal with bringing her back this year was if she was healthy and training well,” Hronis said. “Victor’s early move here was the key to the race. This reminded me of running against Beholder. She just ran lights out. We’re really proud of her.”