Paradise Woods targets Santa Monica Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Paradise Woods, a two-time Grade 1 winner who has been sidelined by illness and minor injuries in recent months, is likely to start in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes on March 24.

On Tuesday, Paradise Woods worked three furlongs in 36.20 seconds, her first workout since Dec. 20. Paradise Woods was second in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Dec. 26.

Paradise Woods was taken out of training briefly in January because of illness and later missed a few days of training because of an abscess detected in a foot.

“We’re in good shape,” trainer Richard Mandella said Thursday.

The $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes is run at seven furlongs for fillies and mares.

Owned by Steve Sarkowsky and Marty and Pam Wygod, Paradise Woods has won 3 of 8 starts and earned $713,545. She won two Grade 1 races last year at Santa Anita – the Santa Anita Oaks and Zenyatta Stakes – and was third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar last November.

The Mandella-trained Bendable will start in the $70,000 Wishing Well Stakes for fillies and mares on the hillside turf course Feb. 24 and not in Sunday’s Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs. Bendable was second in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes on the hillside in her turf debut Jan. 20.

“I ran her on the hill, and she ran a nice race,” Mandella said. “I’d like to give her a second chance.”

Bendable, a 5-year-old mare owned by Claiborne Farm, has won 4 of 9 starts and earned $256,500.

The candidates for the $100,000 Las Flores Stakes are led by Selcourt, who won the minor Kalookan Queen Stakes by 7 1/2 lengths in her first start in seven months Jan. 14; and Skye Diamonds, a three-time stakes winner last year who was fourth in the BC Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 4 at Del Mar.