Santa Anita: Halo Dolly's win in Dream of Summer proves she's not ready to retire
ARCADIA, Calif.- Halo Dolly had won 17 races from 35 starts by the end of 2013, enough for co-owner and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer to consider she should be retired and bred this year.
Hollendorfer thought over the idea, and said he kicked around an offer for a private sale in recent weeks, before deciding to keep Halo Dolly in training this year as a 6-year-old.
Sunday, Halo Dolly made Hollendorfer’s decision look brilliant, winning the 10th stakes of her career in the $100,000 Dream of Summer Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Corey Nakatani, Halo Dolly ($7.60) led throughout the one-mile race, holding off a threat from 1-2 Unusual Way to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Halo Dolly was timed in 1:35.73, after setting early fractions of 23.48 and 47.45 seconds.
“We planned on being prominent in the race anyway,” Hollendorfer said. “Corey made the decision when she broke so well.”
Unusual Way, a four-time stakes winner who was second in the Sam Houston Ladies’ Classic in Texas on Jan. 25, got within a head of Halo Dolly in the stretch, but could not get closer in the final furlong. Unusual Way finished 6 3/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Could Be Trouble, who was followed by Curvy Cat and Warren’s Rosebud.
Halo Dolly races for a partnership. A mare by Popular, her stakes wins include the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Stakes at Del Mar in 2012. Halo Dolly has won 18 of 37 starts and earned $982,316.
“She’s won so many races and been so consistent,” Hollendorfer said.
“I decided to keep her. She’s been sound and we thought she could make as much as people would give for her. It’s worked out well.”