Adare Manor Faces Four in Santa Margarita

Adare Manor  likes her home base of Santa Anita, with four wins and three seconds there in seven starts. She could run that record to five and three in the June 10 Santa Margarita Stakes (G2).

"She is a big mare, and what a beautiful stride she has—she just eats up the ground," said Adare Manor's trainer, Bob Baffert, after the 4-year-old filly captured the April 29 Santa Maria Stakes (G2). "It's nice to see her train well and perform like that."

Adare Manor, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Uncle Mo   owned by Michael Lund Petersen, roared onto the local scene early in 2022 after a couple of starts at 2. She broke her maiden by 12 lengths, and Baffert jumped her next into the Las Virgenes Stakes (G3). That didn't faze Adare Manor, who romped by 13 lengths. She began 2023 with a second, followed by two consecutive victories, the most recent being her 4 3/4-length win in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Maria after setting the pace throughout.

Santa Anita's leading rider, Juan Hernandez, has piloted Adare Manor in all three of her 2023 starts and is back aboard from post 2. The Santa Margarita will be her second attempt at 1 1/8 miles. The last time she tried the distance, she finished second by 1 1/4 lengths in the 2022 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) at Pimlico Race Course. At the time she was trained by Tim Yakteen.

Arizona-bred Desert Dawn , who will have the services of regular rider Umberto Rispoli from the rail in the Santa Margarita, last met Adare Manor in the 2022 Santa Anita Oaks (G2). In that race, Desert Dawn defeated Adare Manor by a neck. Phil D'Amato trains the 4-year-old daughter of Cupid   for owner/breeder H & E Ranch. 

Though Desert Dawn hasn't won since the Santa Anita Oaks, she has placed in four graded events, including a third in the 2022 Kentucky Oaks (G1). In two 2023 starts, Desert Dawn ran fourth in the Beholder Mile (G1) at Santa Anita and fifth most recently in the La Troienne Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs after a wide trip.

"She ran very evenly there. We put her up closer and I think that took her late punch away," D'Amato said of the La Troienne. "I don't think she ran bad, but it was very middle of the road. I'm hoping for a better effort here at Santa Anita."

Smoothlikebuttah  and Kirstenbosch , who finished fourth and fifth, respectively, behind Adare Manor in the Santa Maria, return for another attempt. 

Smoothlikebuttah, to be ridden by Tiago Pereira from post 3, ran third in the Jan. 15 La Canada Stakes (G3). Steve Knapp trains the 5-year-old California-bred daughter of Mr. Big  .

Kirstenbosch won the 1 1/16-mile La Canada after finishing third in the seven-furlong La Brea Stakes (G1) Dec. 26. She also ran third April 8 in the 6 1/2-furlong Monrovia Stakes (G3), which came off the turf. Trainer John Sadler has named Hector Berrios on the 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Midnight Lute  , who has drawn outside.

Tiz a Macho Girl  began her racing career at Santa Anita but has spent much of the time since at Emerald Downs and Turf Paradise. She won the 2022 Washington Oaks at Emerald and the Bell of the Ball Overnight Stakes at Turf Paradise. Jeff Metz trains the 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Mucho Macho Man  .