Hollendorfer might have three in Santa Anita Oaks

ARCADIA, Calif. – Even without division leader Unique Bella, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer’s deep team of 3-year-old fillies will be on display in two stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Unique Bella has won three graded stakes this year, all at Santa Anita, but will miss Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 5 because of sore shins, Hollendorfer said last week.

Despite her absence, Hollendorfer may have three runners in the $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks at 1 1/16 miles – It Tiz Well, Spooky Woods, and Tapped. It Tiz Well won the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Spooky Woods was third behind Unique Bella and expected Santa Anita Oaks favorite Abel Tasman in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes here on March 4. Tapped was second in the California Oaks at Golden Gate Fields on Feb. 11.

Spooky Woods and Tapped are nominated for Saturday’s Grade 3 Providencia Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf and Sunday’s $75,000 Santa Paula Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Hollendorfer said on Sunday he is more likely to run the undefeated Sircat Sally in the $150,000 Providencia Stakes than the $200,000 Evening Jewel Stakes for statebred fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs. Owned by breeder Joe Turner, Sircat Sally has won two stakes at the meeting – the California Cup Oaks for statebreds in January and the China Doll Stakes on turf against open company on March 11.

The Santa Anita Oaks will have a large field. Abel Tasman, who won the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos, worked six furlongs for the Oaks in 1:13.60 on Monday. Other candidates include Majestic Quality, Meanie Irenie, Mopotism, Paradise Woods, and Princess Karen.

Majestic Quality was second in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 25 in her stakes debut. Mopotism was second to Unique Bella in the Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes at a mile on Feb. 5 and later won the Island Fashion Stakes at Sunland Park.

Union Strike, the winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante last September, will start in the Providencia in her first race of 2017, owner and trainer Mick Ruis said on Sunday.