Paradise Woods a Standout in Short Santa Maria Field

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Paradise Woods a Standout in Short Santa Maria Field
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Paradise Woods wins the Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita Park

After emphatically ending a seven-race skid in her previous outing, HS Stable and Martin and Pam Wygod's Paradise Woods will look to build on that success June 1 in the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park.

After rolling to a 10 1/2-length score in the April 27 Santa Margarita Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita, Paradise Woods will shorten up a half-furlong for the 1 1/16-mile test for fillies and mares 3 and older. The grade 1-winning Union Rags  mare is 1-5 on the morning line to secure a second consecutive win.

In the mornings since the Santa Margarita for trainer John Shirreffs, Paradise Woods has appeared to be building on the victory as she's worked four times, including a pair of bullet five-furlong moves May 12 and May 25.

Mike Smith, who was aboard Paradise Woods for the first time in the Santa Margarita, returns for Saturday's race, which has attracted just five entries. With $945,890 in earnings from 14 starts (4-2-3), Paradise Woods would become a millionaire with a win Saturday.

The second choice on the morning line is Roberta and Ward Williford and Chuck Winner's La Force, a German-bred who has been knocking on the door for her first stakes win. Besides finishing a well-beaten second in the Santa Margarita, La Force finished second in three grade 1 races last year. 

A race before the Santa Maria, 3-year-old fillies on the turf will be featured in the $150,000 Honeymoon Stakes (G3T), where Slam Dunk Racing's Maxim Rate will look for a second straight graded stakes win.

The lightly raced daughter of Exchange Rate has been nearly perfect in her three starts—all on turf at Santa Anita—for trainer Simon Callaghan. Unraced at 2, Maxim Rate rallied from ninth to post a clear victory in her maiden special weight debut Feb. 16, scoring at 28-1. She then followed with a close runner-up finish in the April 6 Providencia Stakes (G3T) before securing her initial stakes win in the May 4 Senorita Stakes (G3T).

After closing in her first two starts, Maxim Rate tracked in second in her most recent effort, where she was piloted by Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux, who is back Saturday.

Callaghan also will send out late-running Hostess, who won the Providencia before finishing a close fourth in the Senorita.

Also hoping for a late run are the connections of Lady Prancealot, who rallied from 10th to finish third in the Providencia and from sixth to finish second in the Senorita.


Entries: Santa Maria S. (G2)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, June 01, 2019, Race 8

  • Grade II
  • 1 1/16m
  • Dirt
  • $200,000
  • 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 4:33 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Just a Smidge (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Martin Garcia 121 Bob Baffert 15/1
2 2Paradise Woods (KY) Mike E. Smith 125 John A. Shirreffs 1/5
3 3Exuberance (KY) Norberto Arroyo, Jr. 121 Ian Kruljac 15/1
4 4Tapped (KY) Flavien Prat 121 Richard Baltas 8/1
5 5La Force (GER) Drayden Van Dyke 121 Patrick Gallagher 4/1




Entries: Honeymoon S. (G3T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, June 01, 2019, Race 7

  • Grade IIIT
  • 1 1/8m
  • Turf
  • $150,000
  • 3 yo Fillies
  • 4:03 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Lady Prancealot (IRE) Joseph Talamo 120 Richard Baltas 3/1
2 2Over Emphasize (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Alonso Quinonez 120 Michael W. McCarthy 6/1
3 3Seranitsa (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Flavien Prat 120 Neil D. Drysdale 6/1
4 4Holly Hundy (VA) Norberto Arroyo, Jr. 120 Vladimir Cerin 8/1
5 5Dr Wysong (CA) Aaron T. Gryder 120 Philip D'Amato 20/1
6 6Maxim Rate (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Kent J. Desormeaux 124 Simon Callaghan 9/5
7 7Sold It (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Mario Gutierrez 122 Doug F. O'Neill 10/1
8 8Hostess (GB) Drayden Van Dyke 124 Simon Callaghan 5/1