Home Journey won her first two starts sprinting in handy fashion, but
called it a race after leading for a half-mile in the seven-furlong
Soviet Problem at Betfair Hollywood Park on Dec. 9, beaten 28 ½ lengths
as the 7-10 favorite.
Mike Puype was as perplexed as the bettors who backed her, but
he’s entered the daughter of Good Journey in Saturday’s $300,000
California Breeders’ Champion Stakes for
3-year-old Cal-bred fillies at one mile on the main track.
“No, I couldn’t find any,” the trainer said when asked if she
had any issues in the Soviet Problem. “We’ll see if she can bounce back
and run a mile. It’s an unproven distance for her.
“She’s very fast. Usually, they don’t make great milers, but it’s too
much money not to swing the bat and see what we’ve got.”
The field for the California Breeders’ Champion Stakes, fillies
division: Marks Mine, Abel Cedillo, 12-1; Akiss Forarose, Edwin
Maldonado, 12-1; Awe Golly Molly, Juan Hernandez, 20-1; Home Journey,
Aaron Gryder, 4-1; Jade With Envy, Julien Leparoux, 12-1; Unusual Way,
Rafael Bejarano, 7-2; Tilde, Gary Stevens, 6-1; Doinghardtimeagain, Joe
Talamo, 3-1; Qiaona, Garrett Gomez, 12-1; Good Party, Eswan Flores, 8-1;
and Cloudy Moon, Orlando Mojica, 8-1.