By Alan Carasso
Backed as if she couldn't lose Saturday's GII Santa Margarita S. at Santa Anita, 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags) made her off odds of 3-5 look generous in demolishing seven overmatched and outclassed rivals.
Looking for her first victory since romping home in the 2017 GI Zenyatta S., Paradise Woods broke smoothly from the widest alley in the field of eight and was kept well off the inside and well away from 'TDN Rising Star' Just A Smidge (Into Mischief), who set a fair pace at the fence. Always traveling on the bridle and well within herself, Paradise Woods eased into the lead under her own courage passing the three-eighths marker, was wide off the final turn and cantered in to win as she pleased. La Force (Ger) (Power {GB}), the only of Paradise Woods's rivals that was remotely in the market at 5-2, ran on to complete a chalky exacta.
Third in the 2017 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff and runner-up to eventual champion Unique Bella (Tapit) in that year's GI La Brea S., Paradise Woods was winless in three tries in 2018 and joined the Shirreffs barn for a 5-year-old campaign. Fifth in the GII Santa Monica S. Feb. 16, she rounded out the triple in the GI Beholder Mile S. Mar. 30.
“She has tremendous ability and we need repeatable performances and we need her to develop a style,” said winning trainer John Shirreffs. “As you saw today, she was sitting there relaxed, she was just off that filly, but she wasn't pulling. This is very gratifying because Marty Wygod really wanted to campaign her this year and there was a lot of criticism about not breeding her.”
Pedigree Notes:
One of six winners from as many to race for her unraced dam, a half-sister to British Group 3 and U.S. Grade III winner Tajaaweed (Dynaformer) and from the extended female family of Mr. Greeley and GI Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, Paradise Woods has a yearling full-brother. Wild Forest was barren to Tapit for 2019.
Saturday, Santa Anita Park
SANTA MARGARITA S.-GII, $200,702, Santa Anita, 4-27, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:51.95, ft.
1–PARADISE WOODS, 120, m, 5, by Union Rags
1st Dam: Wild Forest, by Forest Wildcat
2nd Dam: Uforia, by Zilzal
3rd Dam: Long Legend, by Reviewer
'TDN Rising Star' O-Steven Sarkowsky & Martin J. & Pam
Wygod; B-Herman Sarkowsky (KY); T-John A. Shirreffs; J-Mike
E. Smith. $120,000. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 14-4-2-3,
$945,890. *1/2 to Forest Chatter (Dixie Chatter), SW,
$311,786; and Broken Bridle (Broken Vow), SP, $201,855.
2–La Force (Ger), 120, m, 5, Power (GB)–La Miraculeuse (Ger),
by Samum (Ger). (€22,000 RNA Ylg '15 BBAGS). O-Roberta &
Ward Williford & Charles N. Winner; B-Gestut Karlshof (GER);
T-Patrick Gallagher. $40,000.
3–Exuberance, 120, f, 4, Archarcharch–Wild Forest Cat, by
D'wildcat. ($100,000 2yo '17 BARMAR). O-Seltzer
Thoroughbreds; B-Lakland Farm (KY); T-Ian Kruljac. $24,000.
Margins: 10HF, 5 1/4, HF. Odds: 0.60, 2.90, 55.20.
Also Ran: Just a Smidge, Lemoona, Starr of Quality, Birdie Gold. Scratched: Withholding Info. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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