Mandella heads to Breeders' Cup with two Grade 1-winning females

ARCADIA, Calif. – Two Grade 1 wins on the same day would be a career-defining afternoon for most trainers.

For Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, two Grade 1 wins on Saturday’s program at Santa Anita made for his best day of 2017 – but brought him only halfway to a personal milestone. On Saturday, Paradise Woods won the Zenyatta Stakes, while Avenge won the Rodeo Drive Stakes.

Remarkably, Mandella’s best day came in 2003, when he won four Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup races on the same program at Santa Anita, led by Pleasantly Perfect in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Saturday’s stakes double was the first time Mandella won two graded stakes on the same program since Beholder won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and Jimmy Creed won the Grade 2 Potrero Grande Stakes at Santa Anita in April 2013.

Avenge and Paradise Woods are bound for Breeders’ Cup races at Del Mar on Nov. 3-4.

Paradise Woods, who won the Santa Anita Oaks in April, won the $300,000 Zenyatta Stakes by 5 1/4 lengths in her first start against older fillies and mares. She led throughout and was a convincing winner against three rivals.

Mandella said on Sunday that Paradise Woods must show more progress to be a factor in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 3.

“She needs more maturity, and it could come,” Mandella said.

Avenge won the Rodeo Drive at 1 1/4 miles on turf for the second consecutive year. Last November, she was third in the BC Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita when the race was run at 1 1/4 miles on turf. On Nov. 4, the race will be run at 1 1/8 miles because of the configuration of the Del Mar turf course.

“It might be better,” Mandella said of the distance.

Avenge stalked pacesetter Goldy Espony before taking the lead on the turn. She led by 2 1/2 lengths with a furlong to go and won for the first time in three starts this year.

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