11/07/2012 4:13PM

Hollywood Park: Home Journey gets audition for Soviet Problem Stakes

By Steve Andersen
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The 2-year-old filly Home Journey won her debut at Santa Anita on Oct. 13 in a way that has trainer Mike Puype thinking about stakes in coming months.

Lately, when Puype gears a horse for a stakes it is worth remembering.

Last weekend, Puype won the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint with the filly Mizdirection, who had not raced since May 27.

Home Journey starts in an allowance race for California-bred 2-year-olds at Betfair Hollywood Park on Friday. A good result in that race could lead to her starting in the $200,000 Soviet Problem Stakes for Cal-bred 2-year-old fillies over seven furlongs on Dec. 9.

“I would see her being competitive [in that race], if she runs well,” Puype said.

Owned by GGG Stable and Russ Sarno, Home Journey is by Good Journey. In her debut, she won a six-furlong race by 1 1/2 lengths as a 26-1 outsider, leading throughout and extending her lead in the final furlong.

Home Journey was based at Santa Anita during October, and Puype is slightly concerned about the switch from a dirt track to Hollywood Park’s synthetic surface.

“The conversion of the track is the only question,” he said. “Will the speed be as good as it was at Santa Anita? It’s definitely a slower track [at Hollywood Park].

“She’s legit. She’s a good filly.”

Friday’s allowance race is the seventh on an eight-race program that begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific. The race drew a field of nine, including seven fillies who have raced in stakes this year. None of those fillies won or placed in those races.

Aside from Home Journey, the only other filly in the field without stakes experience is Wink and Wish, a maiden race winner at Del Mar on Aug. 26.

Pupye was encouraged that Tribal Gal, eighth in the Generous Portion Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 29, has drawn one post to the inside of Home Journey. Tribal Gal has ample speed and may lead, giving Home Journey an early target.

Sacred Delight is well-suited to the conditions of Friday’s race, which is run over 6 1/2 furlongs. Trained by Eric Krujlac for breeders Al and Sandee Kirkwood, Sacred Delight won a maiden race over seven furlongs in her second start, at Del Mar on Sept. 5. She was later a troubled eighth in the Cal Cup Juvenile Fillies over 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 13.

David Morant More than 1 year ago
Not mentioned in this article is that BEFORE that debut race that she won at 26-1, in the paddock, she was bucking and rearing and hopping all through the people owners and supporters of many of the horses in the paddock grass. She sent many scurrying and falling about as she bucked through them ... Very sacry and multiple people could have been seriously hurt as the paddock was pretty full ... Then she went out and won gate to wire at 26-1 ... VEEY, VERY impressive! And she'ss an absolutely gorgous horse too! To do what she did pre-race that day and then do what she did on the track? She certainly seems to have a ton of potential. I wish her well. What I saw in the paddock and on the track that day made her a MUST WATCH for me!