Visit Our CDI Partners

Sweet Lulu headed back to California off Test victory

Last updated: 8/25/13 5:25 PM

Sweet Lulu (inside) passed the stakes "Test" with flying colors to remain perfect in four career starts

(Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos)

Steve Beneto's Sweet Lulu, who remained unbeaten in four

starts with a narrow victory in the Grade 1, $500,000 Test on Saturday at

Saratoga, emerged from the

race in good shape and will fly back to California on Tuesday, according to

Christina Jelm, assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

In the winner's circle following the Test, Hollendorfer

said he has no immediate plans for Sweet Lulu but will keep an eye on the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in November at Santa Anita as a long-term

objective.

"(Hollendorfer will) get her home and just let her settle

back in, and then they'll start looking at what the next options would be," Jelm

said. "He usually spans about a month between races with these better horses.

We'll see how she progresses out of this, but so far she is as good coming out

of it as she was going into it."

The Test was the first start on dirt, and in a stakes, for

Sweet Lulu, who had all three of her prior races over synthetic surfaces at

Hollywood Park and Del Mar.

In the Test, Sweet Lulu dueled early, took the lead on the

turn, briefly lost the top spot to Wildcat Lily in the stretch, and came back

along the inside to win by a head.

"Most people would have thought this was a big jump for

this filly, but (Hollendorfer) was very confident in here," Jelm said. "She has

everything you want in a horse: pedigree, conformation, size, attitude, heart,

personality."

Since 2010, Hollendorfer, who is based in California, has

made seven starts in New York, also winning the 2010 Alabama with Blind

Luck and this year's Metropolitan Handicap with Sahara Sky. He also was

third in the 2012 Alabama with Via Villaggio and second in this year's Carter Handicap with Sahara Sky.

"(Hollendorfer) does everything right," Jelm noted. "Everything is top class.

His horses are trained properly. He's a top conditioner. His assistant, Dan

Ward, has everything down pat in Southern California.

"I don't know anybody who works as hard as Jerry. He's at the barn every day

at 3 a.m. He lets them develop properly and let them tell him what they need to

do and when they need to do it."

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com

Keeneland Opens SUNDAY

ADVERTISEMENT