Shirreffs has some history with Hollywood Girl

ARCADIA, Calif. – The unraced filly Hollywood Girl is scheduled to have her debut in a maiden special weight race on the hillside turf course for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday at Santa Anita.

Trainer John Shirreffs said the race must stay on turf on a day with a forecast for showers for Hollywood Girl to run. He rates Hollywood Girl as a long-term prospect for longer turf races.

“I want to keep her on the turf,” Shirreffs said. “I entered her for turf only. I think she’s more of a distance filly.”

Bought for $875,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September yearling sale, Hollywood Girl is a prospect who already had a history with Shirreffs.

Hollywood Girl is out of Hollywood Story, a mare Shirreffs trained from 2003-06 for George Krikorian. Hollywood Story was a four-time stakes winner, including two Grade 1 races – the Hollywood Starlet in 2003 and Vanity Invitational in 2006, both at Hollywood Park.

Hollywood Story won the Grade 3 Hawthorne Stakes at Hollywood Park on May 7, 2005, the same day the Shirreffs-trained Giacomo won the Kentucky Derby in a 50-1 upset.

Hollywood Girl is owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stables. The filly, by Giant’s Causeway, was bred by Krikorian. Hollywood Girl had her first workout in June and has worked steadily since late October.

“We’ll see how she goes and see where we’re at,” Shirreffs said. “She’s had a lot of training.”

Shirreffs’s first winner of the current winter-spring meeting was Giza Goddess in the Blue Norther Stakes at a mile on turf for 2-year-old fillies on Dec. 30. Shirreffs said he plans to start Giza Goddess in the $75,000 China Doll Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf on March 9.

“She likes the grass,” he said.