Hollywood Park: Doinhardtimeagain's win in Soviet Problem completes big weekend for Hollendorfer

Benoit & Associates

Doinhardtimeagain, ridden by Martin Garcia, gives trainer Jerry Hollendorfer his third stakes win of the weekend by taking the Soviet Problem.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Doinhardtimeagain, an improving 2-year-old filly, gave red-hot trainer Jerry Hollendorfer his sixth win of the weekend, and third in a stakes, in the $196,000 Soviet Problem Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park on Sunday.

Ridden by Martin Garcia, Doinhardtimeagain ($15.80) stalked pacesetter Home Journey on the backstretch and into the turn, swept around her and two other rivals in early stretch, and won the seven-furlong race for California-bred fillies by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:23.93.

“We got enough speed in front of and it went great,” Hollendorfer said.

Unusual Way, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Sprint Preview at Santa Anita on Nov. 3, finished second, 4 1/4 lengths in front of 69-1 Awe Golly Molly.

Home Journey, the 3-5 favorite, faded from contention in the stretch and finished last of seven.

Hollendorfer had an excellent weekend throughout California. He won Saturday’s Grade 2 Bayakoa Stakes at Hollywood Park with Lady of Fifty and the Gold Rush Stakes at Golden Gate Fields with Zeewat. He also trains Scarlet Strike, who was third in Saturday’s Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet.

In the Soviet Problem, Doinhardtimeagain was 5 1/2 lengths behind Home Journey on the backstretch. She trailed by two lengths after a half-mile, but had the best stride in the final furlong.

Doinhardtimeagain won her first stakes in the Soviet Problem, a stakes that was run for the first time on Sunday.

By Ministers Wild Cat, Doinhardtimeagain is owned by breeders Tom and Debbie Stull, who operate Tommy Town Thoroughbreds.

“It’s fun to see one come along,” Tom Stull said of Doinghardtimeagain.

Doinhardtimeagain has won 2 of 4 starts and $198,500. She is a candidate for the $300,000 California Breeders’ Champion Stakes over a mile for 3-year-old California-bred fillies at Santa Anita on Jan. 26.

Doinhardtimeagainy was second to Tilde in the California Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita on Oct. 13, and beat maidens here in a sprint on Nov. 9. Tilde was fourth in the Soviet Problem.

The loss by Home Journey left trainer Mike Puype stunned. She was ridden by Aaron Gryder who told Puype that he was out of horse “at the three-eighths pole.”

“It was odd,” Puype said. “She’s going to come up sick or something. She’s too good for that.”