Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint: Sweet Lulu gets feel for Santa Anita

ARCADIA, Calif. – Sweet Lulu, the most accomplished 3-year-old in a lineup filled with talented older horses, had her final work toward the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint when breezing a half-mile just before dawn Sunday at Santa Anita.

Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said he shipped Sweet Lulu from her Betfair Hollywood Park base to get a feel for the Santa Anita track and that, “We’re not trying to set any speed records here. She already had her major work last weekend [six furlongs at Hollywood].”

Sweet Lulu inadvertently hooked up with another horse for most of the work and finished in 48.76 seconds, according to Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch. Hollendorfer got her final furlong in a shade over 11 seconds.

Owned by Steve Beneto, Sweet Lulu was defeated for the first time in five career starts when finishing second to Close Hatches in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx Racing in September. Hollendorfer said he likes the turnback from that 1 1/16-mile race to the seven furlongs of the Filly and Mare Sprint.

“We’re going to give all the other horses their due respect, [but] we feel like we’ve got a very good filly here, too,” Hollendorfer added.

Sweet Lulu, by Mr. Greeley, won the Grade 1 Test Stakes as the favorite at Saratoga in August for her top career win and figures among the top wagering choices behind the favored Groupie Doll. The two other 3-year-olds in the Filly and Mare Sprint lineup, Street Girl and Renee’s Titan, will be longshots, with Street Girl more likely to run in the BC Distaff anyway.

Two other works were posted Sunday for the Filly and Mare Sprint: Teddy’s Promise went five furlongs in 1:00.20 at Hollywood Park for Ron Ellis, while Ismene was among the first horses on the track at Santa Anita at 5 a.m. when going five furlongs in 58.80 seconds for Bill Spawr.

Ellis said he was “just looking for a breezing work” for Teddy’s Promise, the winner of the L.A. Woman Stakes earlier this month. “She did it real easy. We’re all set.”

The Sunday works came a day after another trio of contenders had their final works, most notably Groupie Doll, the defending race champion, who went a half-mile in 47.40 seconds at Santa Anita. The others were Summer Applause (a half-mile in 48.40 at Belmont) and Starship Truffles (a half-mile in 48.40 at Gulfstream Park).