Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Star fillies might get rematch
ARCADIA, Calif. – The 3-year-old fillies Unique Bella and Paradise Woods may be seeing quite a lot of each other in coming months.
After finishing first and second in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita on Tuesday, Unique Bella and Paradise Woods are likely to meet again in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 10, their trainers said on Wednesday.
Unique Bella won the $301,035 La Brea Stakes by three-quarters of a length over Paradise Woods, who led until the final sixteenth. Owned by Don Alberto Stable, Unique Bella closed from fifth with a wide rally under jockey Mike Smith. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said the performance impressed him.
“I was pretty confident because Mike was willing to take her wide, and he didn’t have to be wide,” he said. “He kept her clear.”
The Santa Maria will be Unique Bella’s first start around two turns since a win in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at the same distance last March.
Paradise Woods, third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar on Nov. 3, has won two Grade 1 races at Santa Anita at 1 1/16 miles – the Santa Anita Oaks last April and the Zenyatta Stakes in September.
Trainer Richard Mandella said the timing of the Santa Maria is ideal for Paradise Woods, even though the competition will be fierce.
“I was proud of her,” Mandella said of Paradise Woods’s performance in the La Brea. “She ran a good race, but the other one ran a monstrous race.”
Plans are less defined for City of Light, who won his stakes debut in Tuesday’s Grade 1 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs.
“He ran hard, so we’ll think about something in four or five weeks,” trainer Michael McCarthy said on Wednesday.
McCarthy said City of Light is unlikely to start in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes at six furlongs at Santa Anita on Feb. 3.
“I’m not sure we want to turn back [in distance] right now,” he said. “I think he can get a mile.”
Another option on the same day is the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, although McCarthy has another horse for the race in The Lieutenant, the winner of an optional-claiming race at Los Alamitos on Dec. 17.
City of Light and The Lieutenant are owned by Suzanne and William Warren Jr.
City of Light, purchased for $710,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale, began his career in July and has won two of five starts.
“He’s going the right way,” McCarthy said. “It was nice affirmation for the horse. I’ve always thought highly of him.”
Giant Expectations on the rise
Giant Expectations may start in an eight-figure race after winning Tuesday’s Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita.
Trainer Peter Eurton said on Wednesday that Giant Expecta- tions will be considered for the $16 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27 or the $10 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on March 24. He stopped well short of committing to either world-class race.
“What we do next is undecided – whether we take the Pegasus route or do we go to Dubai?” he said. “We’re going to take a step back and see how he comes out of it.”
Giant Expectations led throughout on a slow pace in the San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. He won by 3 1/4 lengths as the 13-1 outsider in a field of five.
The San Antonio Stakes was the longest race Giant Expectations has won. The Pegasus World Cup is run at 1 1/8 miles, a furlong shorter than the Dubai World Cup.
“I don’t think distance is a bad thing,” Eurton said. “He needs to get his trip.”
If Eurton decides to send Giant Expectations to the Pegasus World Cup, he must secure a berth in the race, which costs $1 million. He was not overly concerned on Wednesday, saying he had received a few inquiries from berth holders.
“There are probably some deals out there,” he said.
A 4-year-old colt, Giant Expectations is owned by ExlineBorder Racing, Gatto Racing, and Garrett Zubok. Earlier this year, Giant Expectations won the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs at Del Mar and was sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile there.
The Pegasus World Cup remains a target for Collected, who was third as the 3-10 favorite in the San Antonio Stakes. Collected raced at the back of the field for the first six furlongs – not near the front, as expected – and was beaten 3 1/2 lengths. Jockey Mike Smith blamed himself for having Collected too far off the pace.
On Wednesday, trainer Bob Baffert described Collected as “fine.”
Bowies Hero eyes Kilroe Mile
It’s official: The 3-year-old colt Bowies Hero is best at a mile on turf.
On Tuesday, Bowies Hero won his fourth stakes in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile against 3-year-olds at Santa Anita. All the stakes wins have been at a mile on turf. Trainer Phil D’Amato said he might start Bowies Hero in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile against older horses on March 10.
“We’ll give him a little bit of a breather and let him continue to grow,” D’Amato said. “In February or March, we’ll take on the big boys. The Kilroe is a possibility.”
Owned by Agave Racing Stable, Bowies Hero was third or fifth in three consecutive graded stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf from early September to late November. Earlier this year, Bowies Hero won two races at a mile on turf – the Singletary Stakes at Santa Anita in May and the restricted Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar in July.
“It seems like his best productivity is at a mile,” D’Amato said.