Adare Manor leads all the way in Santa Margarita Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - Leading throughout and never urged, Adare Manor was always in command of Sunday’s Grade 2 Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita, easily winning her seventh stakes.

Adare Manor ($2.10) took the lead leaving the gate and won as jockey Juan Hernandez pleased, pulling clear by 4 1/4 lengths through the stretch.

“She broke sharp and I let her go,” Hernandez said. “She loves to run on the lead.”

Adare Manor set a relatively slow pace of 23.65 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.77 for a half-mile.

“She was a little aggressive,” Hernandez said. “Sometimes, she relaxes. She was trying to go a little earlier.

“She wanted to take off at the five-eighths. I had to hold her to the quarter-pole.”

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Adare Manor led by a length on the turn and by three lengths with a furlong remaining.

“I didn’t ask her too much,” Hernandez said. “It wasn’t necessary. I wanted to take care of her.”

The three chasing fillies and mares failed to muster a challenge in the $196,000 Santa Margarita, run at 1 1/8 miles. Super Shine (6-1) was second to the turn before fading. Coffee in Bed ($10-1) closed from last of four to finish second, a half-length in front of 26-1 Hennys Crazy Train. Super Shine was not urged when passed, and was beaten 14 3/4 lengths.

Blue Dream Machine, supplemented for $4,000 when entries were taken on Thursday, was listed as scratched early on Sunday on veterinarian advice.

Adare Manor, owned by Michael Lund Petersen and trained by Bob Baffert, was timed in 1:50.86. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 99.

Adare Manor won the Santa Margarita in 2023 and is the first two-time winner of the race since Paseana in 1992 and 1994. She is the first mare to win the race in consecutive years since Bayakoa in 1989 and 1990.

Bayakoa was the champion older female of 1989 and 1990, an honor given to Paseana in 1992 and 1993. The 1994 award went to Sky Beauty.

Adare Manor, a 5-year-old by Uncle Mo, has won 9 of 17 starts and earned $1,856,600. The Santa Margarita was Adare Manor’s second consecutive stakes win, preceded by an easy victory by 5 1/2 lengths as the 7-10 favorite in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park on April 13.

Baffert mentioned in the winner’s circle that Adare Manor’s next start will be the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes, a $400,000 race for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on Aug. 3.

The winner receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 2. Adare Manor won the 2023 Clement Hirsch Stakes, and finished seventh of nine, beaten three lengths, in the BC Classic at Santa Anita last November.

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