Shane’s Girlfriend Puts Unbeaten Record on Line in Santa Ynez

By Jordan Sigmon

Nearly two months after demolishing her rivals in Louisiana, Delta Downs Princess Stakes (GIII) winner Shane’s Girlfriend returns to California for the seven-furlong $200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes (GIII) at Santa Anita. The Florida-bred filly will have to defeat a strong field of nine if she hopes to extend her unbeaten record to 3-for-3.

Shane’s Girlfriend debuted on October 16 of last year going six furlongs over the same Santa Anita main track that she will run on in Sunday’s race. Taking the lead right out of the gate, Shane’s Girlfriend defeated her rivals by 5 ¾ lengths in a field that included three horse who have come back to win since. Owned by ERJ Racing LLC, W. C. Racing, and O’Neill and trained by Doug O’Neill, the Adios Charlie filly was then shipped to Delta Downs for the one-mile Delta Downs Princess. Sitting in second throughout the first half of the race, she took over at the quarter pole and opened up on the field to win by 13 ¼ lengths. Since that race, Shane’s Girlfriend has only worked twice, but her most recent one was a six-furlong drill in 1:12 ⅗ earning the rare Southern California “breezing” tag.

Two of her most intimidating hail from the barn of Hall-of-Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, including the very well regarded Unique Bella. By leading sire Tapit and out of 2010 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (GI) winner Unrivaled Belle, Unique Bella made her racing debut in June, but could only manage to finish second after missing the break. Away for five months, the filly who is owned by Don Alberto Stable, made her return to the races a winning one, cantering home to win by 10 ¼ lengths cover the 6 ½-furlong distance in 1:16 flat. Both races were at Santa Anita.

Hollendorfer’s other filly in the race is Tommy Town Thoroughbreds LLC’s It Tiz Well, a filly by Arch out of the Tiznow mare It Tiz. A close third in her late-October debut, It Tiz Well came back to break her maiden by 10 lengths at Los Alamitos Race Course, going six furlongs in 1:09 flat.

Grade 1 winner Noted and Quoted rounds out the leading contenders, she is owned by Speedway Stables LLC and trained by Bob Baffert. From the first crop of The Factor, Noted and Quoted broke her maiden by 9 ½ lengths at Del Mar in her second start. After a fourth in the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (GI), she came back to win the Chandelier Stakes (GI) by a half-length after dueling throughout with second-place-finisher With Honors. She faded to seventh after setting the pace in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI), but her work tab since shows no signs of her losing a step from that effort.

Fuller, Haymes, and STD Racing Stable’s Sandy’s Surprise leads a pair of maiden winners who are also entered in the race for trainer Doug O’Neill. She is joined by McShane Racing LLC’s Go On Mary. Both fillies are exiting off-the-board finishes in the Los Alamitos Starlet Stakes (GI).

Maiden winners Carrie, Princess Karen, and Resilient Humor round out the field for the Santa Ynez.

Carded as the eighth race on the program, the Santa Ynez has a scheduled post time of 4:00 p.m. PT.