john shirreffs

HS Stable and Martin and Pam Wygod’s Paradise Woods gave jockey Abel Cedillo another big win on the weekend in Sunday’s Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita. The 5-year-old daughter of Union Rags, trained by John Shirreffs, ran 1 1/16 miles over the fast main tracks in 1:44.31, winning the race for the second […]

Jerry Moss’ Nolde, given a stirring ride by Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza, rallied between horses in deep stretch to take the lead and then barely withstood the onrushing Originaire to win the Grade 2 $250,000 Del Mar Derby Sunday at Del Mar, Calif. Nolde, beaten a nose by Jasikan in the opening day […]

The Clement L. Hirsch Stakes isn’t the only race that, when it comes up on the calendar, gets trainer John Sherriffs thinking about Zenyatta. The Hirsch, a Grade I $300,000 event that will be run for the 49th time on Sunday at Del Mar, was one of four stakes won multiple times by the great […]

Poised to top the $1-million mark in earnings, Paradise Woods tops a field of seven entered at Del Mar for Sunday’s Grade I $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff. A 5-year-old daughter of Union Rags owned by HS Stable and Pam and Marty […]

Trainer John Shirreffs’ Paradise Woods, fresh off a dominating 10 ½ length win, looms a complete standout in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita. For fillies and mares three and up, the Santa Maria has attracted a field of five at a mile and one sixteenth. Second, beaten 10 ½ lengths […]

Sent off as the 1-2 favorite in Saturday’s G2 Santa Margarita Stakes, Steven Sarkowsky and Martin and Pam Wygod’s Paradise Woods delivered on that potential with an open-lengths victory over La Force. The 5-year-old daughter of Union Rags, ridden by Mike Smith on behalf of trainer John Shirreffs, covered 1 1/8 miles over the fast […]

A multiple Grade I winner at three, but winless since September 2017, Paradise Woods, who will be making her third start for trainer John Shirreffs, heads a field of eight older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita. Bred in Kentucky by the late […]

Mike Smith stunned the racing world in 2005 when he piloted Giacamo to a 50-1 upset in the Kentucky Derby, although it was no great surprise to him. If he wins the Kentucky Derby on Omaha Beach in less than two weeks, May 4 to be exact, it will have minimal shock value both in the […]

Dual Grade 1 winner Paradise Woods made her debut for new trainer John Shirreffs on Saturday, finishing fifth and last in the G2 Santa Monica Stakes at odds of 5-1. “It was hard to reach any conclusions,” Shirreffs told drf.com. “She didn’t break running and rushed up a little and got boxed in. That’s not her […]

A 3-year-old half-sister to 2018 Queen’s Plate winner Wonder Gadot, Hard Not To Love made her career debut in Saturday’s first race at Santa Anita Park. The Hard Spun filly has a distinguishing characteristic: she only has one eye. That didn’t stop her from winning the maiden special weight event by three lengths under Tiago […]