Baffert Duo Looms Large in Short Las Virgenes Field

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Baffert Duo Looms Large in Short Las Virgenes Field
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Adare Manor demolishes a field of maidens at Santa Anita Park

A 12-length maiden special weight winner going a mile in her most recent start, Michael Lund Petersen's Adare Manor , trained by Bob Baffert, is the 6-5 morning-line favorite against four sophomore fillies at the same distance Feb. 6 in the $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park.

Baffert will also send out Baoma Corp.'s Eda , who scored a half-length win in the Dec. 4 Starlet Stakes (G1) at Los Alamitos Race Course. She also won the Anoakia Stakes and Desi Arnaz Stakes last year and placed in the Sorrento Stakes (G2).

Juan Hernandez retains the mount on the Munnings   filly, already a three-time stakes winner, while John Velazquez is on Adare Manor.

A steppingstone to both the April 9 Santa Anita Oaks (G2) and the May 7 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), the Las Virgenes is an official Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifier with points awarded on a 10-4-2-1 scale to its top four finishers. Horses trained by Baffert are ineligible for points, however, due to Churchill Downs Inc. suspending him from racing at its tracks through mid-2023.

Fourth as the heavy favorite going 6 1/2 furlongs two starts back Nov. 20 at Del Mar, Adare Manor, a filly by Uncle Mo  , put it all together Jan. 7 when she stretched out for the first time in a thoroughly dominant gate to wire performance at Santa Anita.

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She is out of the six-time stakes winner Brooklynsway  (Giant Gizmo ), who made more than $724,000.

Eight-length Jan. 1 debut winner Queen of Thorns  seems the biggest danger to the Baffert duo.

"She exceeded my expectations by far," said trainer Peter Eurton. "She's one of those fillies that doesn't necessarily show herself off. She's very steady and does what she does, but her performance was way above what I expected and I obviously was very pleased."

Exline-Border Racing, Richard Hausman, Willam Dan Hudock, Aaron Kennedy, and Susanna Wilson own Queen of Thorns.

Marette Farrell, agent for Exline-Border Racing, purchased her for $300,000 from the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2021 Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training from the Eddie Woods consignment. She worked a quarter-mile in :20 3/5 there during the under tack show.

Gracelund Gray , and Miss Everything  complete the field.

Trainer Doug O'Neill didn't enter either of his two nominees to the race.

"Tonito's  came down with a chip in her knee, so she's out for 60 days or so," O'Neill said of the daughter of Blame  , third in the Starlet Dec. 4.

His other nominee, Awake At Midnyte , "will probably run at the Fair Grounds," O'Neill said, referring to the $300,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes Presented by Fasig-Tipton (G2) there Feb. 19.

The Rachel Alexandra offers Oaks qualifying points on an increased 50-20-10-5 basis.


Entries: Las Virgenes S. (G3)

Santa Anita Park, Sunday, February 06, 2022, Race 3

  • Grade III
  • 1m
  • Dirt
  • $200,000
  • 3 yo Fillies
  • 1:34 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Miss Everything (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Drayden Van Dyke 120 J. Keith Desormeaux 12/1
2 2Gracelund Gray (KY) Tyler Baze 120 Howard L. Zucker 8/1
3 3Adare Manor (KY) John R. Velazquez 120 Bob Baffert 6/5
4 4Queen of Thorns (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Flavien Prat 120 Peter Eurton 5/2
5 5Eda (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Juan J. Hernandez 124 Bob Baffert 9/5