Del Mar: Doinghardtimeagain's versatile style big advantage in Fleet Treat

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DEL MAR, Calif. – To reach three consecutive stakes wins since late March, Doinghardtimeagain has proven to be unbeatable by leading throughout or stalking the pace. The filly is a danger from any angle.

“I think she can do a lot of things,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said. “Good horses can do that.”

Doinghardtimeagain has won 5 of 9 starts and $573,770. A four-time stakes winner in her career, she can extend her winning streak in Saturday’s $200,000 Fleet Treat Stakes for California-bred 3-year-old fillies at Del Mar.

Doinghardtimeagain won two stakes for California-breds at Santa Anita and Betfair Hollywood Park in March and April, and won her first graded stakes in the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on June 22, her most recent start.

Owned by breeders Tom and Debbie Stull’s Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, Doinghardtimeagain led throughout the 1 1/16-mile Hollywood Oaks. She is likely to race with a different strategy in the Fleet Treat, which is run at seven furlongs.

Sweet Marini, second to Doinghardtimeagain in the Melair Stakes for California-bred fillies in April, is expected to make the early lead. Trained by Bob Baffert, Sweet Marini led throughout an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park on May 26, her second win in her fourth start.

[DEL MAR 2013: Complete meet coverage, schedule, race replays]

The Fleet Treat Stakes will be Sweet Marini’s first start on the synthetic Polytrack surface.

“She ran a good race last time, but you don’t know they’ll react to this surface,” Baffert said.

Sweet Marini starts from post 4, two positions to the inside of Doinghardtimeagain, who will be ridden by leading rider Rafael Bejarano.

Doinghardtimeagain is the filly whom Baffert understandably fears.

“Doinghardtimeagain brings it every time,” Baffert said.

By Ministers Wild Cat, Doinghardtimeagain has the tactical speed to race near Sweet Marini, or stay back if the fractions are quick.

“We can watch what happens on the inside and chose what to do,” Hollendorfer said. “We’ve always liked her. Hopefully, she’ll have a long career. It’s nice to train a horse like that.”

The Fleet Treat drew a field of seven. Doinghardtimeagain is the only graded stakes winner in the field. Qiaona, who drew the outside, won the $300,000 California Breeders’ Champion Stakes for 3-year-olds fillies at Santa Anita in January, but is winless in her last four starts.

Trained by Ed Moger Jr., Qiaona was second to Unusual Way in the Campanile Stakes for California-bred 3-year-old fillies on turf at Golden Gate Fields on June 1.