Paradise Woods Cruises to Zenyatta Stakes Victory

Back on the track where she put in the best performance of her career, Paradise Woods shone once again in the $300,000 Zenyatta Stakes (G1) Sept. 30.

On an uncontested lead throughout the 1 1/16-mile test, similar to her 11 3/4-length victory in the April 8 Santa Anita Oaks (G1), the Union Rags  filly cruised around the Santa Anita Park main track under jockey Flavien Prat and hit the wire in 1:44.34, 5 1/4 lengths ahead of second-place finisher Faithfully.

It ended a two-race skid for the Richard Mandella trainee, which included off-the-board finishes as the short-priced favorite in the May 5 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) and the Aug. 27 Torrey Pines Stakes (G3).

"I wasn't as confident (as I've been in the past), not in her ability, but the fact that she's kind of gone south," Mandella said. "We had to get through some hard times, and we did. She responded. It was a lot of schooling.

"This was a relief. I was worried something would go wrong again, but it went right."

But how much the victory means going forward, with the context of the field she faced, remains to be seen. Although it was her first try against older horses, only three challengers lined up to face the filly owned by Steven Sarkowsky, Martin Wygod, and Pam Wygod with the scratches of Rockport Babe and Shenandoah Queen.

Paradise Woods breezed on a four-length lead with fractions of :23.13, :46.89, and 1:11.50 through six furlongs, and pushed her lead to six lengths with a furlong to run. Faithfully finished a clear second, 13 1/4 lengths ahead of Motown Lady, who came in another 9 1/4 lengths ahead of Midnight Toast.

"It was a lot different today. (The Torrey Pines) last time was very bad and nothing went well," Prat said. "Today she broke just a tad slow, but she got going and really relaxed for me on the backside. We've been working on her relaxing, because she has a tendency sometimes to be very aggressive. She was quite good today and we look forward to the next step."

The next step, according to Mandella after the Zenyatta, is the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Del Mar Nov. 3.

"The Distaff is the goal," the Hall of Fame trainer said. "I couldn't ask for more than what we had today."

Bred in Kentucky by Herman Sarkowsky, out of the Forest Wildcat mare Wild Forest, Paradise Woods now has three wins from six starts with $473,545 in earnings. It was the second grade 1 placing for Faithfully, who finished third behind Stellar Wind and Vale Dori in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) July 30 at Del Mar.