STELLAR WIND STAKES WIN

JOCKEY QUOTES

VICTOR ESPINOZA, STELLAR WIND, WINNER: “John told me to come and work her so I could know her well. I like her, she’s so smooth and the way she worked was so nice. I was talking with John today and I told him how excited I was for her race.

“I wanted to break and let her do whatever she wanted to do; I didn’t want to irritate her, just make her happy. They slowed the pace down so I had to move out a bit. They were walking up front so I had to press the pace by the three-eighths pole. She was just waiting for me to command her. I knew I could just shake the reins a little bit and she would go. I think farther for her would be better.”

KENT DESORMEAUX, LIGHT THE CITY, SECOND: “We were similar in placement to the Las Virgenes but it was a completely different race. We were crawling today and really sprinted to the wire. It turned into a typical turf-style race where it’s slow early but you sprint late.

“She was full of run under the wire but she had one that out-sprinted her. She’s obviously very good.”

TRAINER QUOTES

JOHN SADLER, STELLAR WIND, WINNER: “She’s trained really, really well. When she got here, her hair was about this long (holding his hands about four inches apart). It was so cold in Maryland, I think she was glad to get out here in this good weather.

“I want to thank David Ingordo; he found her for me. He was the agent on the deal, and the previous trainer (Donald Barr) did a nice job. She won easily when she broke her maiden back there with a pretty good number. She trained really well here so I was looking forward to this race today.”

Asked if the Santa Anita Oaks (Grade I, $400,000, 1 1/16 miles on April 4) would be next: “That would a logical spot at this point . . . I think she’s going to be better at a a mile and an eighth, a mile and a quarter.”

KOSTA HRONIS, STELLAR WIND, WINNING OWNER: “Her maiden win was very impressive. We went and took a look at her and we were impressed with what we saw. She’s looked so good here in the mornings. She’s so fluid, she just floats over the track. She ran great and I thought her gallop out was very strong.”