Unique Bella, Paradise Woods may get rematch in Santa Maria

ARCADIA, Calif. – The 3-year-old fillies Unique Bella and Paradise Woods may be seeing quite a lot of each other in coming months.

After finishing first and second in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita on Tuesday, Unique Bella and Paradise Woods are likely to meet again in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 10, their trainers said on Wednesday.

Unique Bella won the $301,035 La Brea Stakes by three-quarters of a length over Paradise Woods, who led until the final sixteenth. Owned by Don Alberto Stable, Unique Bella closed from fifth with a wide rally under jockey Mike Smith. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said the performance impressed him.

“I was pretty confident because Mike was willing to take her wide, and he didn’t have to be wide,” he said. “He kept her clear.”

The Santa Maria will be Unique Bella’s first start around two turns since a win in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at the same distance last March.

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Paradise Woods, third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar on Nov. 3, has won two Grade 1 races at Santa Anita at 1 1/16 miles – the Santa Anita Oaks last April and the Zenyatta Stakes in September.

Trainer Richard Mandella said the timing of the Santa Maria is ideal for Paradise Woods, even though the competition will be fierce.

“I was proud of her,” Mandella said of Paradise Woods’s performance in the La Brea. “She ran a good race, but the other one ran a monstrous race.”

Plans are less defined for City of Light, who won his stakes debut in Tuesday’s Grade 1 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs.

“He ran hard, so we’ll think about something in four or five weeks,” trainer Michael McCarthy said on Wednesday.

McCarthy said City of Light is unlikely to start in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes at six furlongs at Santa Anita on Feb. 3.

“I’m not sure we want to turn back [in distance] right now,” he said. “I think he can get a mile.”

Another option on the same day is the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, although McCarthy has another horse for the race in The Lieutenant, the winner of an optional-claiming race at Los Alamitos on Dec. 17.

City of Light and The Lieutenant are owned by Suzanne and William Warren Jr.

City of Light, purchased for $710,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale, began his career in July and has won two of five starts.

“He’s going the right way,” McCarthy said. “It was nice affirmation for the horse. I’ve always thought highly of him.”