Sweet Azteca Nails Rancho Bernardo Stakes Three-Peat
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Juan Hernandez eases victorious Sweet Azteca to the wire at the end of the Rancho Bernardo Stakes at Del Mar
After Sweet Azteca cruised to her third straight victory in the Aug. 16 Rancho Bernardo Stakes (G3) at Del Mar, the name of Hall of Famer Joel Rosario could be added to the list of jockeys who have challenged the big gray mare early with fast fillies and mares only to be shrugged off like an unwanted coat in a reality check of consummate class.
What began as an old-fashioned match race between the odds-on Sweet Azteca, under Juan Hernandez, and Rosario's mount Thermal , the solid second choice, turned into a one-horse procession through the late stages of the 6 1/2-furlong event. The winning margin over Thermal was an official 4 3/4 lengths, but it could have been as many as Hernandez pleased. The final time was 1:16.51, as Antifona edged Fire Ban for third money after both mares broke through their front stall gates prior to the start.
"I knew that other filly could give me a hard time," Hernandez said of Thermal. "But Richard told me his filly was doing fantastic and I should ride her with confidence."
That would be Richard Baltas, whose stable is also blessed with the sprinting turf freak Ag Bullet. That one can be a handful, according to the trainer, but by comparison, Sweet Azteca is laid back and lives up to her name.
"She listens to her rider all the time," said Hernandez, who has won four of five races with Sweet Azteca. "She took a breather on the backside, and I knew she was traveling really well."
Taking advantage of her long, languid strides, Sweet Azteca stalked Thermal through an opening quarter in :22.49 and the half in :44.94.
"Around the three-eighths I asked her to pick it up," Hernandez said. "She passed the other filly and reached the wire very easy."
Pulling up, the freshly initiated Rosario found himself alongside Hernandez.
"That's a very nice filly," Rosario called out.
"Yes," replied Hernandez. "I know."
Sweet Azteca has been a very nice filly and an exemplary mare for three seasons (excluding her lone race, a win at 3), after a banner campaign as a 4-year-old for Michael McCarthy and now four generously spaced races over the past 13 months with Baltas. The trainer has had to work around a foot issue that forced her vet scratch from the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) last fall, but there are hopes Sweet Azteca can make the race this time around, Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
The Rancho Bernardo three-peat was not unprecedented. It was accomplished in 1995-97 by Track Gal, who was handled by Thermal's trainer, John Sadler.
"She was a tremendous mare, just like Sweet Azteca," Sadler said.
Pamela Ziebarth, Sweet Azteca's owner and breeder, collected $60,000 from the Rancho Bernardo's $100,000 purse, plus a $15,000 credit toward entry in the Breeders' Cup race courtesy of the Dirt Dozen Bonus Series.
Sweet Azteca has now won nine of 11 starts and $847,200. The 6-year-old daughter of Sharp Azteca is the second foal of stakes winner So Sweetitiz, by Grand Slam. Tizsweet, the maternal granddam of So Sweetitiz, is a full sister to Tiznow, 2000 Horse of the Year and two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) for Cecilia Straub-Rubens, Ziebarth's mother.