Del Mar: Winding Way eyes Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint

Winding Way, who scored a breathtaking victory Sunday by overcoming a poor star to capture the Rancho Bernardo Handicap, came out of the race in good condition and now will be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita, trainer Carla Gaines said.

Gaines said she and B. Wayne Hughes, whose Spendthrift Farm bred and owns Winding Way, will try to figure out the best way to get Winding Way to the Breeders’ Cup. Ideally, Gaines said, she would like Winding Way to have one more start between now and then. She has won all three of her starts, all in sprints.

“I’d like to keep her sprinting,” Gaines said. “I don’t want to change what she’s doing, for now. If we want to compete in the Breeders’ Cup, it seems like we should stay at what she’s good at, for now.”

Under those parameters, the most suitable spot at Santa Anita’s fall meeting would be the $100,000 L.A. Woman Stakes, at 6 1/2 furlongs, on Oct. 7. The Filly and Mare Sprint is at seven furlongs.

Sticking with Talamo pays off for Hollendorfer

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is notoriously competitive, and he admits he was not happy when Halo Dolly finished third in the Osunitas Stakes here July 21. But he decided to stick with Joe Talamo, who rode Halo Dolly that day, and on Sunday Talamo made amends by guiding Halo Dolly to victory in the Solana Beach Handicap.

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Hollendorfer said he talked to Scotty McClellan, Talamo’s agent, a few days after the Osunitas and said he told him he’d keep Talamo on Halo Dolly “because I wanted to show I wasn’t a totally mean person.”

The Solana Beach victory was the 12th for Halo Dolly in 21 starts. She also won last year’s Solana Beach with Talamo.