|
DEL MAR, Calif. -- Jerry Hollendorfer marches to and from the track each morning with quick yet purposeful strides, his head down, focused on getting to his favorite spot in the grandstand to watch his horses train. There's little variance in the approach. He likes his routine. And that determination has served him well this year, for it seems every time Hollendorfer, 71, has taken a step forward, he's had to take a step back, but he remains steadfast in his resolve. Earlier this year the 3-year-old filly Unique Bella won three straight graded stakes races at Santa Anita to establish herself as the early favorite for the Kentucky Oaks, but her bothersome shins flared anew and she went to the sidelines. Hollendorfer's two-time champion filly Songbird was delayed in getting to the races this year. But after finally making it back she won twice and then finished second to the top-class Forever Unbridled, all in races in which she had to travel, and then she was retired by owner Rick Porter. Songbird finished second in last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff, and her retirement seemingly took away Hollendorfer's best chance to win that race this year. But then It Tiz Well blossomed over the summer and fall, including a victory in the Grade 1 Cotillion in her last start. And then on Friday, It Tiz Well had to come out of the Distaff owing to tender feet. So now Hollendorfer is down to a pair of runners for this year's Breeders' Cup here at Del Mar. He has Battle of Midway in the Dirt Mile on Nov. 3, and while that 3-year-old colt is certainly a leading contender, it is Unique Bella who provides Hollendorfer with his best chance to have a happy ending to this tumultuous year. After being sidelined for seven months, Unique Bella returned earlier this month as good as ever when winning the Grade 3 L.A. Woman at Santa Anita, putting her on course for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 4. While the time off likely ceded any hope she had of winning the Eclipse Award for champion 3-year-old filly -- especially considering what Distaff runners Abel Tasman and Elate have accomplished since Unique Bella needed her vacation -- Unique Bella could nail down an Eclipse Award as top female sprinter if she prevails. "This year has had it's up and downs, but to me it's been mostly ups," Hollendorfer said at Santa Anita, watching works from a grandstand seat a furlong from the finish line. "I'm very grateful to have gotten the chance to train horses such as these." Still, this has been a trying time for the Hall of Fame trainer. He has no more horses with Porter, whose comments about Songbird's condition when she was retired, while not specifically naming Hollendorfer, were obviously pointed. "She was a remarkable horse and I'm grateful I was able to train her, and I think that's about all I can say," Hollendorfer said. Battle of Midway was owned by Porter before he was sold prior to the Kentucky Derby to Don Alberto Stable and WinStar Farm. Don Alberto is the sole owner of Unique Bella, having purchased her as a yearling. Unique Bella has been highly regarded since she began training with Hollendorfer in spring 2016. The word was out before her debut in June 2016, in which she went off as the odds-on favorite. A poor start cost her that day, and she finished second. Her shins were bothering her as the Del Mar summer meeting neared, so Hollendorfer backed off. She did not race again until Nov. 26. Unique Bella put on a show that day, crushing maidens by more than 10 lengths over the track at which the Breeders' Cup will be held. After that maiden win, Unique Bella scored runaway victories at Santa Anita in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez at seven furlongs, Grade 2 Las Virgenes at one mile, and Grade 3 Santa Ysabel at 1 1/16 miles, dominating Abel Tasman -- who would go on to win the Kentucky Oaks -- in the Santa Ysabel. But then the shin problem resurfaced. "We gave her enough time so that we were fairly certain it wouldn't come back again," Hollendorfer said. "Right now, there are no issues." Unique Bella's rehab included letting cold water from a hose cascade over her legs, standing her in ice, and putting her in what's euphemistically called "the spa," a tub in which horses stand with cold water above their knees and the water circulates like a Jacuzzi. The time off was beneficial for her legs, and during that time Unique Bella grew up. She has massive hindquarters. It's easy to see how Unique Bella generates so much thrust. "She's not taller than she was, but she got a lot broader," Hollendorfer said. Her journey this year, like Hollendorfer's, has had plenty of detours. But if they get to the winner's circle at Del Mar on Nov. 4, they will still arrive at their hoped-for destination.
|
