Santa Monica might get cream of female sprinting crop

ARCADIA, Calif. – The Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes for female sprinters March 24 at Santa Anita could feature an intriguing matchup among the stakes winners Paradise Woods, Selcourt, and Skye Diamonds.

Selcourt and Skye Diamonds were first and third in the Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes at six furlongs Sunday at Santa Anita. Paradise Woods, a two-time Grade 1 winner last year, recently resumed training after being sidelined earlier this year by illness and a minor foot ailment.

Paradise Woods was second in her only start at this meeting, beaten by 2017 female sprint champion Unique Bella in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs Dec. 26.

The $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes is run at seven furlongs.

Selcourt won her first graded stakes in the $100,345 Las Flores, leading or disputing the pace throughout. She finished three-quarters of a length in front of Coniah, who could run in the Santa Monica Stakes or be redirected to a turf sprint stakes on the hillside course, trainer William Morey said.

Selcourt is unbeaten in two starts this year since returning from a layoff caused by injury. She won the Kalookan Queen Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs last month.

“We wanted to win a graded stakes,” trainer John Sadler said in the winner’s circle. “It’s important to do that with the fillies.

“We’ll look at the [Santa Monica] and beyond that a Grade 1.”

Skye Diamonds, a three-time stakes winner last year, closed well to finish a head behind Coniah in her first start since a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar in November.

Skye Diamonds won the Dream of Summer Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at a mile here last March and two stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs in the summer – the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos in July and the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar in August.

Trainer Bill Spawr said Monday that Skye Diamonds should be better at seven furlongs than the six furlongs of the Las Flores.

“It’s the perfect distance for her,” he said.