A field of eight has been entered in Sunday’s $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) sending sophomore fillies a mile on the Del Mar turf, and Paradise Woods highlights the field in her return from a more than three-month layoff.
The Richard Mandella trainee was last seen finishing 11th in the May 5 Kentucky Oaks (G1) as the 6-5 favorite, beaten 20 lengths on the sealed, sloppy track that day at Churchill Downs. She entered the nine-furlong contest off a dominating victory in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Anita Oaks (G1), defeating Kentucky Oaks winner Abel Tasman by 11 lengths on April 8.
Paradise Woods has been given plenty of time to recover and breaks from the rail post as the 7-5 morning-line favorite in the Torrey Pines with regular rider Flavien Prat aboard.
The 3-1 second choice behind the bay daughter of Union Rags is Zapperkat, who finished third in the Chandelier Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park last October after breaking her maiden by 5 1/4 lengths in August at Del Mar. The Richard Baltas trainee finished fifth in her sophomore bow on March 10 and enters this spot off a one-length score against allowance/optional claiming foes on May 4 at Santa Anita.
Regular rider Norberto Arroyo Jr. has the call on Zapperkat.
Also lining up in the Torrey Pines is former claimer Munny Spunt, who ran fourth in the Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3) last out on August 13.
“She’s been going up the ladder since she came into our stable and we’ve seen nothing but positives from her,” assistant trainer Leandro Mora said of the Munnings filly claimed for $25,000 in June. “She eats well, trains well and the (speed figure) number of her last race was pretty good.
“We’re going to take advantage of her good form and run her here rather than Los Alamitos. This will be her last race before we give her a month or so of a break.”
Drayden Van Dyke will be in the irons on Munny Spunt, who drew the far outside post.
