Hollywood Park: Doinghardtimeagain gets distance in Melair

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Proven in sprints against California-breds, Doinghardtimeagain showed she is equally effective around two turns in Saturday’s $245,000 Melair Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Winning for the first time at a distance, Doinghardtimeagain ($3.40) caught pacesetter Sweet Marini in the final furlong to win the rich race for California-bred 3-year-old fillies by 1 1/4 lengths under leading rider Rafael Bejarano.

“She did a really good job,” winning trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said. “She can run more than one distance.”

Doinghardtimeagain had the trip that Hollendorfer envisioned, stalking the pace and making a move toward the leader on the turn.

“The race came up like I thought it would,” he said. “We have great confidence in Bejarano. He knows where he is out there.”

Doinghardtimeagain ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.55. Bejarano had Doinghardtimeagain in third for the first six furlongs and moved into contention with a three-wide move on the turn.

Sweet Marini held second, finishing two lengths in front of Unusual Way. Qiaona was fourth, followed by Jade With Envy, Awe Golly Molly, and AkissForarise.

Sweet Marini was eighth behind Doinghardtimeagain, as the 3-5 favorite, in the Evening Jewel Stakes at Santa Anita on March 30, her first start of 2013. She had breathing problems in that race, trainer Bob Baffert said earlier this week.

Unusual Way, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Sprint Preview Stakes last November, was second to Kentucky Oaks hopeful Midnight Lucky in the Sunland Park Oaks in New Mexico on March 24.

Doinghardtimeagain has won 4 of 8 starts and $483,770. A filly by Ministers Wild Cat who is owned by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, Doinghardtimeagain won the Soviet Problem Stakes for California-bred 2-year-old fillies last December here.

In her two previous starts around two turns, Doinghardtimeagain was second in the California Cup Juvenile Fillies as a maiden last October, and fourth as the 2-1 favorite in the California Breeders’ Champion Stakes behind Qiaona at Santa Anita in January.