Paradise Woods likely to miss Santa Maria Stakes due to cough

ARCADIA, Calif. – The rematch between Paradise Woods and Unique Bella is on hold while Paradise Woods recovers from an illness that will cost her nearly two weeks of training.

Trainer Richard Mandella said Thursday he is hopeful Paradise Woods will resume training late next week. The interruption means Paradise Woods probably will miss a Feb. 10 rematch with Unique Bella in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes.

A two-time Grade 1 winner and third last fall in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Paradise Woods finished second to Unique Bella in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes on Dec. 26. She exited the seven-furlong La Brea in good shape but came down with a cough and a temperature soon after she resumed training.

“She had just started back and got sick right away,” Mandella said Thursday. “She got sick [last Sunday]; she’s missed five days already. She’ll miss another week at least. I’m not going to worry about what’s next. I’ll worry about getting her right.”

Although Paradise Woods was still coughing on Thursday, she was recovering from the elevated temperature. “She’s about over it,” Mandella said.

Paradise Woods has won three races and $713,545 from eight starts, including Grade 1 victories at Santa Anita in the Santa Anita Oaks and Zenyatta Stakes. Paradise Woods and Unique Bella are considered the leading main-track females in California.

Unique Bella already has breezed once since winning the La Brea. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Thursday she will breeze this weekend and remains on target for the Santa Maria.

Aside from Paradise Woods and Unique Bella, several leading fillies and mares in Southern California are missing from Saturday’s Grade 2 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita but are expected back in the first few months of the year in stakes around the country and at home.

Abel Tasman, a finalist for the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding 3-year-old filly of 2017, is jogging at Santa Anita, trainer Bob Baffert said. Abel Tasman was second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar on Nov. 3.

Vale Dori, also trained by Baffert, is in light training at Los Alamitos. In 2017, Vale Dori won four stakes, including the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational at Santa Anita in March. She was later second by a neck in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile in June and the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar in July, losing both races to Stellar Wind.

“She’s got a long way to go” before she’s ready, Baffert said.

Vale Dori was taken out of training in the fall. Stellar Wind was based with trainer John Sadler in California until she was sold for $6 million in Kentucky in November. Stellar Wind is currently with trainer Chad Brown in Florida and is expected to start in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27.

Champagne Room, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2016, is bound for the Grade 3 Sam Houston Ladies Classic at 1 1/16 miles at Sam Houston Race Park in Texas on Jan. 28. Trainer Peter Eurton said on Thursday that he considers the $400,000 Ladies Classic a prep for the $400,000 Santa Margarita Invitational at 1 1/8 miles on March 17.

“That’s what we have penciled in right now,” he said.

– additional reporting by Steve Andersen