Did Baze make right choice in Wine Country?

SANTA ROSA, Calif. – Stop Smiling appears to be the best of three from the barn of Jerry Hollendorfer in Saturday’s $50,000-added Wine Country Stakes at the Sonoma County Fair, yet Russell Baze will be riding another Hollendorfer entry, Free Money.

The 1 1/16-mile turf race attracted a field of eight 3-year-old fillies.

Hollendorfer often has multiple entries, and there’s nothing puzzling about Baze being aboard one of Hollendorfer’s runners. They have combined for 2,609 wins. But what’s puzzling is why Baze will be riding Free Money, whose career-best Beyer Speed Figure is a 70 in winning a six-furlong allowance race at Pleasanton in her last start. She is making her stakes debut in the Wine Country and has never won on turf.

Stop Smiling, on the other hand, finished third in a Grade 2 race as a 2-year-old last year, has won on turf, and has Beyers of 77 and 74 in her last two starts.

Hollendorfer also sends out Global Rule, whose last two starts were a maiden win in her turf debut followed by a third on turf in the Campanile Stakes.

KEY CONTENDERS

Amnesia (Last 3 Beyers: 78-76-76)

◗ Irish-bred has run decently in her three U.S. starts, all for Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale.

◗ She’s making her U.S. stakes debut and has had two easy works since her last start June 29, including a turf drill.

◗ Distance should be no problem. She finished fourth going 1 1/4 miles two back. She’ll make her presence felt in the lane.

Global Rule (Last 3 Beyers: 81-66-56)

◗ Steady improvement of late, including the field’s best last-race Beyer when third in the Campanile on June 8.

◗ Has five works since her last race, winding up with a 1:12.60 six-furlong drill Tuesday, when the Golden Gate Fields track was playing fast.

◗ Hollendorfer is riding Christian Aragon for the first time, and his only win of the year came last Saturday at Sacramento.

◗ Baze has ridden the stalker in her past five starts, with a win, two seconds, a third, and a fourth.

Stop Smiling (Last 3 Beyers: 77-74-65)

◗ Graded stakes-placed runner is on an uptick, with a turf win at this distance two back and a nicely rated effort despite being overmatched in the Grade 2 Summer Oaks in her last start.

◗ She brings a nice 48.60-second bullet half-mile drill into this.

◗ Has enough speed to sit close at this level for jockey Pedro Terrero, who is 0 for 3 with Hollendorfer this year.