Paradise Woods has eye on Santa Maria, Clement L. Hirsch stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Paradise Woods is likely to have a two-race campaign later this spring and summer following her impressive win in Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita.

Trainer John Shirreffs said on Sunday that races such as the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita on June 1 and the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on July 28 will be goals for Paradise Woods. The winner of the $300,000 Hirsch Stakes at 1 1/16 miles receives a fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita in November.

On Saturday, Paradise Woods ($3.20) cruised to an easy win by 10 1/2 lengths in the $200,702 Santa Margarita Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles. Shirreffs said such a performance was vital to continue the racing career of the 5-year-old Paradise Woods, who ended a seven-race losing streak over the past 19 months with the victory.

“She was a prohibitive favorite, and she had to run a race that would show she could continue on,” Shirreffs said.

Ridden by Mike Smith, Paradise Woods was always near the front, racing within a half-length of early leader Just a Smidge. Paradise Woods was alongside Just a Smidge on the backstretch but was positioned well off the inside.

“One thing that was very gratifying was her not trying to outrun that horse to the lead but being comfortable there,” Shirreffs said.

“It was a mile and an eighth, and that was a nice thing. She’d never won at a mile and an eighth. She looked magnificent. She was a standout on appearance, and she conducted herself perfectly.”

Owned by Marty and Pam Wygod and Steve Sarkowsky, Paradise Woods has won 4 of 14 starts and $945,890. She had an outstanding 3-year-old season in 2017 when trained by Richard Mandella, winning the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes. Paradise Woods was later third in the BC Distaff at Del Mar in November of that year.

Paradise Woods was winless in three starts in 2018. She was transferred from Mandella to Shirreffs last December. The Santa Margarita was her third start for Shirreffs, preceded by a last-place finish of five runners in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes at seven furlongs on Feb. 16 and a third in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile on March 30.

Saturday’s win was her first since the Zenyatta Stakes in September 2017. Paradise Woods will have a five-week gap to the Santa Maria and an eight-week gap to the Clement Hirsch.

“That looks good,” Shirreffs said. “I think the timing between the Santa Maria and Clement Hirsch would be ideal.”