With Unique Bella away, Abel Tasman will play

ARCADIA, Calif. – With Unique Bella forced to miss the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks because of a minor injury, trainer Bob Baffert plans to start Grade 1 winner Abel Tasman in the $400,000 race.

Unique Bella, the leading 3-year-old filly in the nation, was recently taken out of training because of sore shins, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said on Tuesday. The setback will prevent her from making scheduled starts in the Santa Anita Oaks on April 8 and the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 5.

It is not clear how long Unique Bella will be away from racing, but her absence has led to growing interest from horsemen in the Santa Anita Oaks, which is run at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-old fillies.

Owned by Don Alberto Stable, Unique Bella has won 4 of 5 starts and earned $342,400. She’s won three graded stakes this year at Santa Anita.

Baffert said he was considering a start outside of California for Abel Tasman if Unique Bella had been in the race.

“I’m going to run,” Baffert said. “I was going to ship her, but I’ll run her here.”

Abel Tasman was second to Unique Bella in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes on March 4 in her first start since winning the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos in December.

Simon Callaghan trained Abel Tasman for those races, but the filly was transferred to Baffert by co-owner China Horse Club in the days following the Santa Ysabel after a mix-up over the silks worn by jockey Joe Talamo in the race. Abel Tasman was supposed to wear the China Horse Club silks, but she wore the silks of co-owner Clearsky Stable.

Callaghan was furious when the filly was transferred to Baffert, who now has a leading runner in the national 3-year-old filly division.

“She looks good,” Baffert said. “She was in good shape when we got her.”

Baffert said Abel Tasman was given a week off after the Santa Ysabel after showing signs of an elevated temperature. On Tuesday, Abel Tasman worked seven furlongs in 1:25.80, her second workout since the Santa Ysabel.

Baffert said Mike Smith will replace Talamo on Abel Tasman. Smith and Baffert teamed to win the $10 million Dubai World Cup last Saturday with Arrogate, the nation’s top-ranked horse.

The field for the Santa Anita Oaks is expected to include It Tiz Well, Majestic Quality, Miss Sunset, Paradise Woods, Spooky Woods, and Tapped.

It Tiz Well was second to Unique Bella in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes in January. Spooky Woods was third behind Unique Bella and Abel Tasman in the Santa Ysabel.

Owner and trainer Mick Ruis said in a text message Wednesday that he is considering the race for Union Strike, the winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante last September. Ruis said the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes on turf April 8 is another option, pending a workout by Union Strike this weekend.