Hollywood Park: Sprouts faces stiff competition in Soviet Problem

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Sprouts faces a different group of fillies in Saturday’s $200,000 Soviet Problem Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park than she beat in stakes during the summer. The early season sprinters have been replaced by a mix of fillies effective in longer sprints and races around two turns.

Where Sprouts fits with this group compared to the summertime competition will be better known after the Soviet Problem, run over seven furlongs for California-bred 2-year-old fillies.

“In June and July, precociousness goes a long way,” said Edward Freeman, who trains Sprouts. “Now, everyone is ready.”

Sprouts won two stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs – the Cinderella Stakes against open company at Hollywood Park on June 15 and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes for statebreds at Del Mar on July 19. She was turned out after finishing last of eight in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Aug. 31.

“It was only 30 days that she had off, so she didn’t let down completely,” Freeman said. “She was a little jarred up after Del Mar.”

Owned by breeders Paul and Zillah Reddam, Sprouts has won 3 of 5 starts and earned $149,490. She is the only multiple stakes winner among the 10 fillies in the Soviet Problem field, but must prove she can regain her previous form.

Freeman, for one, thinks the distance will suit Sprouts.

“I think she’s probably a one-turn filly, and she could be two turns on the grass,” Freeman said.

Sprouts is one of two stakes winners in the field, joined by Swiss Lake Yodeler, who won the Golden State Juvenile Fillies over a mile for California-breds at Santa Anita on Nov. 1. Swiss Lake Yodeler won her debut in a $32,000 claiming race for maidens over about four furlongs at Barretts Sales and Racing at the Los Angeles County Fair in September. She won that race for trainer Mike Pender and then was transferred to Jerry Hollendorfer.

Swiss Lake Yodeler was second in a starter allowance over six furlongs at Santa Anita on Oct. 6 before Hollendorfer decided to try the Golden State Juvenile Fillies. Swiss Lake Yodeler closed from fourth in a field of 10 with a wide rally to win the Golden State Juvenile.

Hollendorfer said earlier this week that the win surprised him a bit. He said he “feels comfortable” dropping Swiss Lake Yodeler back in distance Saturday.

Swiss Lake Yodeler is one of four fillies in the field who won their last start. Meinertzhageni, sixth in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies, won a six-furlong allowance race at Hollywood Park on Nov. 22. Casey’s Clem and Global Hottie won maiden special weight races over 6 1/2 furlongs an hour apart at Hollywood Park on Nov. 17.

Global Hottie was purchased for $190,000 at the Barretts May sale of 2-year-olds in training and races for Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman. Trained by Bob Baffert, Global Hottie was second as the 1-2 favorite in a maiden race at Santa Anita on Oct. 26 before winning by 4 1/4 lengths at 7-10 on Nov. 17.

“We thought she couldn’t lose first time out,” Baffert said. “We took the blinkers off and it helped her relax more. She’s been training well since her last race. She hasn’t regressed.”