Adare Manor Toys With Santa Margarita Field
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Adare Manor wins the Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita Park
Adare Manor dominated the May 26 Santa Margarita Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita so thoroughly that the race was without a scintilla of drama. What it did provide, though, was an opportunity to witness a big, beautiful mare do what she was bred to do.
Breaking professionally for jockey Juan Hernandez, Adare Manor capitalized on her victory in the April 13 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn Park for back-to-back graded wins and back-to-back Santa Margaritas. Adare Manor put herself in the company of champion Bayakoa (ARG), the last horse to take consecutive Santa Margaritas, in 1989-90.
After Hernandez got Adare Manor out of the gate, the jockey had an easy time of it in the 1 1/8-mile race. They coasted along on the front end in the four-horse field, getting the first quarter-mile in :23.65. Hennys Crazy Train and Super Shine ran as a team in second, with Coffee in Bed a close fourth.
Super Shine took a shot at Adare Manor around the second turn, and Hennys Crazy Train tried shortly thereafter. Coffee in Bed, who runs well from off the pace and most recently captured the Santa Maria Stakes (G2), closed ground in the stretch. But the three were decidedly competing for second, as Adare Manor strolled home the easiest of winners by 4 1/4 lengths in 1:50.86. Coffee in Bed finished second, a half-length in front of Hennys Crazy Train.
"She loves to run behind the pace," said Hernandez. "But today I was the pace, so she wanted to go. I let her go. She was a little aggressive out of the gate. She relaxed, took a breath, and just kept on going."
Bob Baffert trains 5-year-old Adare Manor for owner Michael Lund Petersen. While Baffert said she was training well and expressed confidence in her performance, he didn't take the win for granted.
"She had to get out of the gate well," Baffert said. "I always worry about them stumbling—you think the worst. Once she got away from there—they were going pretty slow. She's not used to going that slow. I knew she'd get better with age, and I'm glad he kept her in training for another year."
By winning the Apple Blossom and Santa Margarita in the same season, Adare Manor could begin to invite comparisons to others with similar exploits. Champions Zenyatta and Azeri won both races in 2010 and 2002, respectively.
With this year's Santa Margarita, Adare Manor was winning the seventh graded stakes of her career. She has nine wins and five seconds in 17 starts and is approaching earnings of $2 million. Adare Manor was a relative bargain for Petersen after Donato Lanni purchased her for the owner at the 2021 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company June 2-year-old sale for $375,000.
Town & Country Horse Farms and Gary Broad bred Adare Manor in Kentucky from the Giant Gizmo mare Brooklynsway. Adare Manor and Kingsbarns are 2024 graded stakes winners by Uncle Mo , who stands for an advertised stud fee of $150,000 at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky.