Apple Blossom's top two in action

Champions Stellar Wind and Songbird must wait, probably until November, to determine the Eclipse Award as the year's outstanding older dirt female.

Although both have California-based trainers, the two are unlikely to meet until the Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 3 at Del Mar, the seaside track north of San Diego. Each has two Grade 1 victories this year, 4-year-old Songbird most recently in the Delaware Park Handicap and 5-year-old Stellar Wind in the Beholder Mile at Santa Anita.

Stellar Wind made her first start of the year April 14 in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park, running down a game Terra Promessa in the stretch. Both daughters of Curlin return to action Sunday, Stellar Wind defending her title in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar and 4-year-old Terra Promessa meeting two rivals in the Grade 3 $200,000 Shuvee at Saratoga in upstate New York.

Stellar Wind is pitted against Grade 1 winner Vale Dori for a third time in the Hirsch, Stellar Wind winning their last meeting by a neck in the June 3 Beholder Mile. Vale Dori finished a distant third to Stellar Wind and the since-retired Beholder in the Grade 1 Zenyatta last October at Santa Anita. Both carry 123 pounds in the Hirsch.

"They're both really good horses and they run well every time, so we're expecting another war," said Stellar Wind trainer John Sadler. "We're expecting to stay close to (Vale Dori) and Stellar Wind has been tough in tight finishes."

The mile-and-sixteenth Hirsch, in which Stellar Wind upset Beholder last year, rewards the winner with an automatic entry in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff. Victor Espinoza rides Stellar Wind and Rafael Bejarano stays aboard the Bob Baffert-trained Vale Dori. Four others are entered.

With Jose Ortiz aboard, Terra Promessa carries 121 pounds in the nine-furlong Shuvee. A two-time Oaklawn stakes winner each of the last two years, Terra Promessa makes her first start since winning Pimlico's Grade 3 DuPont Distaff May 17.

"She's a lovely filly and we're just proud of the mare she's developed into being a daughter of Curlin," said Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who also trained her sire, the 2007 Arkansas Derby/Rebel winner and a two-time Horse of the Year. "She's been very consistent, and recently she's gotten better with age. We were very happy with the quality race she ran at Oaklawn. That had been the only place she had stakes success so far, so for her to carry that form into Pimlico make us feel good coming into this race."

Also in the Shuvee are 5-year-old Paid Up Subscriber (120, John Velazquez) and 6-year-old Apologynotaccepted (116, Luis Saez).

* Hence, a January maiden winner at Oaklawn, represents Asmussen in Sunday's Grade 1 $1 million Haskell Invitational at New Jersey's Monmouth Park. A Street Boss colt owned by Calumet Farm, Hence has Grade 3 victories in the Sunland Derby and the Iowa Derby. He finished 11th in the Kentucky Derby and ninth in the Preakness.

Sports on 07/28/2017

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