Tapped impresses for trainer Hollendorfer

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer’s 3-year-old filly division is becoming stronger by the week.

Unique Bella won her stakes debut in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita on Jan. 8. On Friday, Tapped won her first start against winners in an optional claimer at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Hollendorfer will need the entire stakes schedule for 3-year-old fillies at the winter-spring meeting to keep the two apart for a while. Unique Bella is a candidate for the $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes at a mile Feb. 5. Tapped could start in the $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 4.

The main race of the meeting for the division is the $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks on April 8.

Hollendorfer doesn’t mind the depth.

“It’s a pleasant problem to have,” Hollendorfer said on Saturday.

Tapped ($4.60) disputed the early pace in Friday’s optional claimer and pulled clear with a three-wide rally to win by 5 1/4 lengths as the favorite. The race was originally scheduled for turf but was transferred to the main track because of heavy rain Wednesday and Thursday.

“She’s got a lot of talent,” Hollendorfer said after Friday’s win. “We wanted to get a race in her, and we felt it would come off the turf. Her next race will be a route race. She looks like she can route.”

Owned by Larry Roth’s LNJ Foxwoods, Tapped beat maidens in her debut at Santa Anita on Oct. 2 and lost her next two starts in stakes – a second at 1-5 in the Pike Place Dancer Stakes at a mile at Golden Gate Fields on Oct. 29 and a fourth in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Los Alamitos on Dec. 10.

Tapped, by Tapit, was beaten five lengths by Abel Tasman in the Starlet. Abel Tasman is a candidate for the Santa Ysabel.