Unique Bella back in Hollendorfer's starting lineup

ARCADIA, Calif. – Unique Bella tagged along with trainer Jerry Hollendorfer’s stable through the spring and summer, a bench player with a stellar portfolio.

From Santa Anita to Del Mar and back to Santa Anita, Unique Bella did not race while recovering from sore shins that forced her out of training in March, weeks after her third consecutive stakes win. Instead, Unique Bella was rested and slowly brought back to training for a fall campaign.

Unique Bella made a successful comeback Sunday with an emphatic win in the Grade 3 L.A. Woman Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita. The slow days of summer are over, replaced by the anticipation of a start in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 4.

Monday, Hollendorfer struggled briefly to find a way to describe Unique Bella’s condition the morning after the race, finally settling on “perfect.”

“She came out of the race in very good condition and we’re grateful for that,” Hollendorfer said.

As the 1-5 favorite, Unique Bella was expected to win the $100,345 L.A. Woman Stakes against five rivals. Ridden by Mike Smith, she broke a stride slowly and was third for the first half-mile. Smith urged her into contention with a three-wide move. Unique Bella won by 3 1/2 lengths in her first start against older fillies and mares.

“Mike was very happy with the way she did what she had to do,” Hollendorfer said. “I guess we have a little more maturity there.”

Unique Bella, who is owned by Don Alberto Stables, has won 5 of 6 starts and earned $402,400.

The sore shin, detected in late March, kept her out of the major stakes for 3-year-old fillies in the spring and summer.

“We had to do that for the horse,” Fernando Diaz, who represented Don Alberto Stables, said in the winner’s circle on Sunday. “We’re happy we gave her the time. She proved it today.”

Last winter, Unique Bella won the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs in January in her third start, the Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes at a mile in February, and the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles in March.

The BC Filly and Mare Sprint is run at seven furlongs, and will be the toughest test of Unique Bella’s career. Hollendorfer, never the sort to make bold predictions, was looking forward to the race on Monday morning.

“She looks like she’ll be able to do something in there,” he said.