Paradise Woods to have Rosario aboard for Santa Monica

ARCADIA, Calif. – Paradise Woods will be ridden for the first time by Joel Rosario when the two-time Grade 1 winner makes her debut for trainer John Shirreffs in Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita.

Paradise Woods was previously trained by Richard Mandella and was transferred to Shirreffs late last year. Owned by Marty and Pam Wygod and Steve Sarkowsky, Paradise Woods has worked quickly in recent weeks, including six furlongs in 1:10.80 last Friday.

A 5-year-old mare, Paradise Woods was ridden by Flavien Prat in her previous 11 starts. With Prat, Paradise Woods won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes in 2017 and was third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff later that year at Del Mar.

Last year, Paradise Woods was winless in three starts, including a third in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile last June.

Shirreffs described the move to Rosario as “a fresh start.”

“He’s a very talented rider,” Shirreffs said. “It’s an opportunity to ride Joel.”

The $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes is run for fillies and mares at seven furlongs. The race is expected to draw a strong field, including Amuse, Dream Tree, Escape Clause, Marley’s Freedom, Mopotism, and Selcourt.

Marley’s Freedom won four graded stakes last year, including the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga last August. Marley’s Freedom was fourth by a half-length as the 9-10 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs last November.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Marley’s Freedom worked five furlongs in 58.80 seconds at Santa Anita on Sunday, the fastest of 35 works at the distance. Dream Tree, also trained by Baffert, worked six furlongs in 1:11.80 on Sunday.

Dream Tree won her first five starts and was beaten for the first time when eighth in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes here on Dec. 26.

Spiced Perfection, who won the La Brea Stakes, will start in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel on Saturday, according to trainer Peter Miller. Spiced Perfection was sold privately last week and transferred from Brian Koriner to Miller. She is now owned by Adam Wachtel, Peter Deutsch, and Len Schleifer.