Paradise Woods moves to Shirreffs's barn

ARCADIA, Calif. - Paradise Woods, the winner of two Grade 1 races in 2017, was recently transferred from trainer Richard Mandella to John Shirreffs.

Owned by Steve Sarkowsky and Marty and Pam Wygod, Paradise Woods has not raced since a sixth-place finish in the restricted Osunitas Stakes on turf at Del Mar last August.

Paradise Woods, who will become a 5-year-old in 2019, has won 3 of 11 starts and earned $773,890.

“The owners decided to try something different,” Mandella said Sunday of the barn change.

Shirreffs and Mandella said the transfer took place in early December.

On Saturday at Santa Anita Paradise Woods worked a half-mile in 46.60 seconds, the fastest of 47 recorded works at the distance. Shirreffs said Paradise Woods is a candidate for the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes for older fillies and mares at seven furlongs on Feb. 16.

Shirreffs said Paradise Woods’s arrival at his barn was “a surprise.”

By Union Rags, Paradise Woods won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes in 2017 before finishing third behind Forever Unbridled in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar that November. Paradise Woods was winless in three starts in 2018.