Santa Anita news: Paradise Woods, Gift Box on schedule
With Mike Smith aboard, Paradise Woods worked five furlongs Sunday morning in a bullet 1:00.60 for John Shirreffs, who is considering either the June 8 Ogden Phipps (G1) at Belmont Park or the Santa Maria Stakes (G2) on June 1 at Santa Anita Park for her next race.
The breeze was the fastest of 42 drills at the distance, the average time of which was 1:02.68.
Paradise Woods, a 5-year-old by Union Rags, ended an eight-race losing streak on April 27 when she took the Santa Margarita (G2) by a widening 10 1/2 lengths under her new jockey, Smith.
Streaking Danuska’s Girl, winner of three straight, including the Las Flores (G3) last out on April 7, worked five furlongs on the training track in 1:01.40 for this Saturday’s Desert Stormer Stakes (G3) at six furlongs. Regular rider Geovanni Franco was aboard for Jerry Hollendorfer.
The Hall of Fame trainer also sent monster mare Vasilika six furlongs on the training track in 1:17.20 for the Gamely (G1) on May 27. In all there were 196 recorded workouts Sunday, 49 on the training track.
Sparky Ville going 'his distance'
In a game clamoring for new owners, perhaps no one meets the criteria more than John Del Secco and his father, David, who campaign as Del Secco DCS Racing.
John is an 18-year-old from Pleasanton in Northern California bound for the University of Kentucky as a freshman in August on a scholarship to major in equine science. David runs a construction business in the Bay Area.
Among the horses they own is Sparky Ville, a 3-year-old son of Candy Ride entered in Saturday’s Lazaro Barrera Stakes (G3), and the two-year-old filly Go Big Blue Nation, who has been firing bullets and looms an odds-on choice for her debut in today’s third race.
Both horses are trained by Jeff Bonde. Go Big Blue Nation, a daughter of 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, is named for the University of Kentucky Wildcats.
At Clockers’ Corner this morning, John was proudly sporting the school’s colors, wearing a blue T-shirt with white letters spelling out “Kentucky.”
“My dad always took me to the fairs and I got hooked on it,” said John in explaining his introduction to racing. “That’s how it all started. We met Jeff in Pleasanton four years ago and have 12 horses in training with him now.”
Bonde, 64, a successful fixture in both Northern and Southern California for decades, has Sparky Ville back in a sprint after the chestnut gelding finished sixth in the 1 1/16-mile Golden Gate Derby on April 27.
“This is his distance,” Bonde said of the seven furlong Laz Barrera. “He’s doing well for the race.”
Sparky Ville captured the San Vicente Stakes (G2) at seven furlongs Feb. 10 on a wet/fast track, getting up by a nose at 7-1 under Joel Rosario.
Gift Box on track for Grade 1
Santa Anita Handicap (G1) winner Gift Box worked six furlongs in company on Saturday for the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1) on Memorial Day -- Monday, May 27. Under John Sadler assistant trainer Juan Leyva, Gift Box was clocked in 1:13.60 while stablemate Foxtail was given a time of 1:14.40.