Connections to Point Sweet Azteca to Beholder Mile

Trainer Michael McCarthy reported all was well with Sweet Azteca  the morning after her eye-catching 12-length victory sprinting against allowance foes Feb. 2 at Santa Anita Park.

A 4-year-old Sharp Azteca  filly, Sweet Azteca motored 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.35 under little urging from jockey Flavien Prat to win for the second time in three starts. The effort earned her a 99 Equibase Speed Figure.

"You always hope they run to their training and she certainly did yesterday," McCarthy said Saturday morning.

Sweet Azteca won her debut for McCarthy last May at Churchill Downs going six furlongs then went to the sidelines for the remainder of her 3-year-old season. She resurfaced Jan. 1 at Santa Anita in the Las Flores Stakes (G3)  going six furlongs. Sent off the 6-5 favorite in her stakes bow, Sweet Azteca led comfortably through the opening half-mile and looked poised for the victory. But she drifted out considerably when turning into the stretch under Frankie Dettori. That error allowed two rivals to slip through on the inside. Sweet Azteca wound up third beaten 2 1/2 lengths by winner Chismosa .

McCarthy was hoping to give Sweet Azteca a confidence boost by running in Friday's allowance rather than Saturday's seven-furlong Santa Monica Stakes (G2). Next up is likely a return to the stakes ranks in the Beholder Mile (G1) March 9 at Santa Anita, which will be Sweet Aztecas's first time racing around two turns. 

"If she continues to do well that seems like the logical spot," McCarthy said. 

Out of multiple stakes winner So Sweetitiz , by Grand Slam, Sweet Azteca races as a homebred for Pamela C. Ziebarth.