Adare Manor Back to Top Form in Santa Maria

Adare Manor  is looking more and more like a grown-up version of the filly that won the 2022 Las Virgenes (G3) by 12 lengths. Controlling the pace before effortlessly opening up in the stretch, the daughter of Uncle Mo   won the April 29 Santa Maria Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park by 4 3/4 lengths under leading rider Juan Hernandez. 

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert sent Adare Manor away last summer for an extended break after she tailed off in the spring and summer, most noticeably with a distant sixth in September's Cotillion (G1) at Parx Racing. She came back as a 4-year-old with consecutive starts in allowance optional claiming races, winning the second one as a tune-up for Saturday's smashing effort. 

"It's really nice because last year we were so high on her and we had high expectations for her and then she sort of went sour on us," Baffert said. "So we turned her out to give her the time and now she's blossomed. You can tell she's this big mare with a beautiful stride; she just eats up the ground."

Breaking from post 2 in a field of five older fillies and mares, Adare Manor challenged Big Switch  for the early lead and had a head in front by the first turn. Finding her rhythm through splits of :23.35 and :47.16 the margin was suddenly 1 1/2 lengths onto the backstretch. Big Switch, who hung in with Adare Manor to lose by a head last time out, managed to keep pace into the far turn, with grade 1-placed Bellamore  alone in third.

Coming to the three-eighths marker in the 1 1/16-mile race, Adare Manor and Hernandez were still gliding along as Joe Bravo on Big Switch and Ramon Vazquez on Bellamore started riding to keep things interesting, but to no avail. Past the eighth-pole Adare Manor was widening the margin, ears up, as Hernandez settled down to coast to the wire. Adare Manor stopped the timer in 1:43.10 while 4 3/4 lengths in front of Bellamore. It was another 1 1/4 lengths to Big Switch.

"The older you get you really appreciate them," said Baffert, who won the Santa Maria for the third time in four years and sixth time overall. "It was nice to see her, when they're training that well, and she performed like that, it's pretty awesome."

The odds-on favorite paid $3.40 to win while boosting her bankroll to $501,600 from a record of 4-4-0 in 10 starts. 

It was a second straight Santa Maria victory for Hernandez, who won it in 2022 aboard Private Mission . Trainer Mike McCarthy took over conditioning Private Mission for that one race last year while Baffert served a suspension; otherwise, this likely would be Baffert's fourth straight Santa Maria. 

Mongolian Panther  scratched, leaving a field of five to contest the $200,000 event. Smoothlikebuttah  was fourth, ahead of La Canada (G3) winner Kirstenbosch , who bobbled at the start and never put in a run. 

Donato Lanni as agent purchased Adare Manor on behalf of owner Michael Lund Petersen at the 2021 Ocala Breeders' Sales June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale for $375,000 from Julie Davies' consignment. The filly previously sold for $180,000 to Walmac Farms/Gary Broad when offered by Taylor Made Sales Agency to the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale.

Bred in Kentucky by Town & Country Horse Farms and Gary Broad, she is the first foal out of the graded stakes-winning Giant Gizmo mare Brooklynsway , who was subsequently bred to Into Mischief  , Ghostzapper  , and Uncle Mo.

 

[replay date="4/29/2023" country="USA" trackid="SA" racenumber="9"