Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Paradise Woods gets new rider
ARCADIA, Calif. – Paradise Woods will be ridden for the first time by Joel Rosario when the two-time Grade 1 winner makes her debut for trainer John Shirreffs in Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita.
Paradise Woods was previously trained by Richard Mandella and was transferred to Shirreffs late last year. Owned by Marty and Pam Wygod and Steve Sarkowsky, Paradise Woods has worked quickly in recent weeks, including six furlongs in 1:10.80 last Friday.
A 5-year-old mare, Paradise Woods was ridden by Flavien Prat in her previous 11 starts. With Prat, Paradise Woods won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes in 2017 and was third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff later that year at Del Mar.
Last year, Paradise Woods was winless in three starts, including a third in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile last June.
Shirreffs described the move to Rosario as “a fresh start.”
“He’s a very talented rider,” Shirreffs said. “It’s an opportunity to ride Joel.”
The $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes is run for fillies and mares at seven furlongs. The race is expected to draw a strong field, including Amuse, Dream Tree, Escape Clause, Marley’s Freedom, Mopotism, and Selcourt.
Marley’s Freedom won four graded stakes last year, including the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga last August. Marley’s Freedom was fourth by a half-length as the 9-10 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs last November.
Trained by Bob Baffert, Marley’s Freedom worked five furlongs in 58.80 seconds at Santa Anita on Sunday, the fastest of 35 works at the distance. Dream Tree, also trained by Baffert, worked six furlongs in 1:11.80 on Sunday.
Dream Tree won her first five starts and was beaten for the first time when eighth in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes here on Dec. 26.
Spiced Perfection, who won the La Brea Stakes, will start in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel on Saturday, according to trainer Peter Miller. Spiced Perfection was sold privately last week and transferred from Brian Koriner to Miller. She is now owned by Adam Wachtel, Peter Deutsch, and Len Schleifer.
Dubai next for Platinum Warrior
Platinum Warrior, the winner of the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita last Saturday, is expected to start on the Dubai World Cup program on March 30 at Meydan.
Trainer John Sadler said three races are under consideration: the Dubai Turf at 1 1/8 miles and Sheema Classic at 1 1/2 miles, both Group 1, $6 million races, and the Group 2 $1.5 million Dubai Gold Cup at two miles. Sadler said Platinum Warrior is most likely to run in one of the $6 million races, pending discussions between Sadler and owner Yuesheng Zhang of China and his European-based racing advisors.
“We’ll make a decision when we get a little closer,” Sader said on Sunday.
In the long term, Sadler considers the 4-year-old Platinum Warrior to be a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Turf, which will be run here in November.
In the $202,808 San Marcos Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf, Platinum Warrior was fourth early and disputed the pace on the backstretch before pulling clear to lead by 2 1/2 lengths under jockey Shane Foley. Platinum Warrior ($34.40) held on to win by three-quarters of a length over Epical.
Gutierrez changes agents
Jockey Mario Gutierrez, who has won the Kentucky Derby twice, has switched agents, replacing Tom Knust with Matt Nakatani.
Nakatani, the son of jockey Corey Nakatani, said the change is effective immediately. Through Sunday, Gutierrez had 5 wins from 68 mounts at the Santa Anita winterspring meeting. Gutierrez rode Listing to a win in the California Cup Turf Sprint on Jan. 26.
Last year, Gutierrez won 71 races, including the Del Mar Futurity on Game Winner, the champion 2-year-old male of 2018. The Del Mar Futurity was the only time Gutierrez rode Game Winner in the colt’s fourrace campaign.
Matt Nakatani said he will represent Gutierrez and Andrea Atzeni through the end of February before Atzeni is scheduled to return to England for the start of that country’s turf flat season in late March.
Matt Nakatani said his father continues to undergo physical therapy for injuries sustained in a spill at Del Mar last summer.
“He’s still in physical therapy and trying to get healthy,” Nakatani said. “He goes three times a week.”