Adare Manor breezes to victory in Santa Maria Stakes
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ARCADIA, Calif. – The filly Adare Manor and jockey Juan Hernandez returned to top form in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita.
Three hours after his mount Ancient Peace resented being rated and finished fourth as the odds-on favorite in the Grade 3 Providencia, Hernandez let Adare Manor ($3.40) strut her stuff on the front end. The result was a convincing victory in the Santa Maria for fillies and mares.
Adare Manor won the 1 1/16-mile dirt race by 4 3/4 lengths. It was her second graded victory and first since she defeated three rivals in the Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes in February 2022.
The outcome of the Santa Maria was never really in doubt. “She was really, really good today,” Hernandez said, referring to Adare Manor. “Today, she had a huge stride. I didn’t change her style, she likes to go to the lead. I just let her run, let her be happy on the lead.”
Adare Manor broke first, made the lead inside, and took pressure from Big Switch. The fractions were modest, a half-mile in :47.16 and three-quarters in 1:11.11. Turning for home, Hernandez tapped Adare Manor a couple times and she opened up. She coasted to the wire in 1:43.10.
Bob Baffert trains Adare Manor, a 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo owned by Michael Lund Peterson. The win was Adare Manor’s fourth from 10 starts; she has earned $501,600.
Bellamore rallied from third to finish second; pacepresser Big Switch was under a drive at the quarter pole and finished a 1 1/4 lengths back in third. Smoothlikebuttah and Kirstenbosch finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Mongolian Panther scratched.
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