Hard Not to Love targeting Beholder Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – Hard Not to Love was a quiet and cool filly in the minutes before Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita. That does not bode well for the opposition in coming months.

Hard Not to Love, a one-eyed filly who has had bouts with anxiety, refused to warm-up before the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at seven furlongs on Dec. 28, standing stubbornly in front of the stands for several minutes before she was coaxed into a jog by jockey Mike Smith and an outrider. Hard Not to Love won the race by 2 1/4 lengths at 11-1.

On Saturday, the pre-race warm-up went off without incident. Hard Not to Love was walked around the clubhouse turn for about a quarter-mile by groom Martin Lopez before she jogged away with a pony. Hard Not to Love won the $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes at seven furlongs by 3 1/2 lengths as the 3-5 favorite.

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Hard Not to Love is scheduled to have her next start in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile for fillies and mares here on March 14, her first start around two turns. For that race, trainer John Shirreffs and Smith will use a similar pre-race routine and warmup as they did Saturday.

There are no concerns whether Hard Not to Love can handle the added distance.

“I like her at a mile,” Shirreffs said on Sunday.

“I think she’ll run further than that,” Smith said in the minutes after the Santa Monica. “She settles. She’s extremely fast if you want her to be. She can naturally put herself in a good spot.”

Hard Not to Love, a 4-year-old by Hard Spun, chased a fast pace in the La Brea at seven furlongs. In the Santa Monica, she was closer to the front through a slower pace and rallied wide to reach the front in early stretch. Smith hand-rode Hard Not to Love to the wire.

“She was able to relax down the backstretch,” Shirreffs said. Smith “got her to switch off and then come back on.”

Hard Not to Love races for the partnership of West Point Thoroughbreds, Mercedes Stable, Scott Dilworth, Dottie and David Ingordo, and Steve Mooney. She has won 5 of 6 starts and earned $408,480. The lone loss was a third in the minor Angels Flight Stakes here last May.

Following that race, Hard Not to Love did not race again until October when she won an allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option at six furlongs. Shirreffs gave Hard Not to Love a rest last summer for mental reasons. The filly lost an eye in a paddock accident before her racing career began.

Shirreffs could have a remarkable run at Santa Anita in the final weeks of the winter.

Saturday, Shirreffs starts Carressa in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes for fillies and mare at a mile on turf. Carressa won the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes on Jan. 20 in her stakes debut.

On March 7, Honor A. P. is scheduled to have his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, a key prep for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 4.

On the same March 7 program, Midcourt will start as a leading contender in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap.

Honor A. P., an impressive maiden winner in his only start last October, missed an appearance in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Jan. 4 because of a training setback. Saturday, Honor A. P. worked seven furlongs in 1:27. Through the workout, Shirreffs timed Honor A. P. going through each furlong in a little more than 12 seconds.

“I thought he was very exceptional,” Shirreffs said. “He was going 12 and something and 12 and change all the way around. He’s certainly a good-looking and good-moving horse.”