Talented filly Paradise Woods debuts for Mandella

ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita splashes its way to the end of a wet racing week Sunday with a card highlighted by two promising fillies and a wrinkle to the condition book.

Rain was forecast all weekend, including for Sunday’s eight-race, all-dirt card. The program includes the career debut of a highly regarded maiden filly in race 4, a new claiming level in race 5, and a fast California-bred allowance filly who looks tough to beat in race 7.

It is always exciting when a maiden with a lofty reputation makes her debut. Paradise Woods may be giving up a seasoning edge to experienced rivals Princess Julia and Kenda in race 4, but expectations are high, according to trainer Richard Mandella.

Paradise Woods “is a beautiful filly and has shown some serious talent,” Mandella said. “We’re very excited.”

Sired by Union Rags, Paradise Woods is a sibling to the Mandella-trained stakes sprinter Forest Chatter. Flavien Prat has been aboard Paradise Woods in morning works, she has worked in company, worked fast, and gives every indication that she will fire first time out.

Her main rivals are solid. Princess Julia improved in her second start, a runner-up finish while four lengths clear of third. Kenda finished a better-than-it-looked fourth in her debut. She broke slowly, sliced through the field, loomed into the lane, and tired. This maiden race for fillies looks strong. Paradise Woods gets the call over Princess Julia and Kenda.

The condition-book wrinkle is race 5 and marks a significant tweak to the Southern California class ladder. Previously, the lowest level was $8,000 claiming. Sunday’s fifth-race sprint is for $6,250 claimers, the lowest claiming level at Santa Anita in decades.

The decision to lower the bottom has been deliberated for several years at Santa Anita; the change was overdue. Lowering the bottom claiming level attracts horses to Santa Anita who might otherwise run at other tracks.

While $6,250 claiming is not expected to become a staple, the initial race at the level suggests that more are forthcoming. Nine entered, including four whose most recent start was during a nighttime program at Los Alamitos. The horse to beat is Madelyn’s Wild Max, whose eighth-place finish last out for $10,000 was far better than it looks on paper.

In race 7, the lightly raced Ready to Hula Lula makes her first start against winners in a first-level allowance sprint for statebred fillies and mares. She required four starts to put it all together, but her comeback maiden win was impressive and stamps her as the one to beat.

“We got a fresh start with her after we turned her out,” trainer Mark Glatt said. “Some horses take getting a little age on them to figure it out.”

Ready to Hula Lula had been off seven months before returning with a decisive maiden win Nov. 27 at Del Mar. That race was run over a “wet-fast” track; conditions on Sunday could be similar.

Zuzu’s Petals, a five-time winner, including two wins for California-bred optional claimers, is the main rival for Ready to Hula Lula.