Grade 1 winner Grace Adler reboots in Thursday allowance

DEL MAR, Calif. – Grace Adler had all the makings of a star filly when she won the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante last September by 11 1/4 lengths.

The rest of 2021 did not go as well, leading to a lengthy rest that ends with her 2022 debut in an allowance race for fillies and mares at six furlongs Thursday at Del Mar.

Trained by Bob Baffert for Willow Grace Farm and Michael Petersen, Grace Adler is part of a field of six in the allowance race field, which includes Dance to the Music, who was second in the 2021 Debutante; the Baffert-trained Midnight Memories; and Slammed, a five-time stakes winner against New Mexico-breds.

Typical of a Baffert-trained runner, Grace Adler has worked quickly for her comeback. Last Friday, Grace Adler worked six furlongs in 1:11.60 from the gate.

Last summer, Grace Adler was unbeaten in two starts at Del Mar, beginning with a win in a maiden special weight race at five furlongs last July. The rest of 2021 was a bust. She finished fifth of seven as the 9-10 favorite in the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita last October, and last of six in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos last December, her most recent start.

“She went off form and we turned her out and freshened her up,” Baffert said. “She looks like she’s come back to her old form.”

Baffert cautioned that the six-furlong distance of the allowance race may not be ideal.

“It will be good to get a race into her,” he said.

Grace Adler needs a top-level performance Thursday to beat Dance to the Music, who races for Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal and trainer Mark Glatt.

Dance to the Music was sixth in the Chandelier last October and did not race again until she won an allowance race on May 7 at Santa Anita. Dance to the Music was second, beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Becca Taylor, in the Grade 3 Desert Stormer Stakes at six furlongs on June 4 at Santa Anita.

Glatt briefly considered Dance to the Music for the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos earlier this month, won by Becca Taylor, but decided to wait for Thursday’s race.

“I didn’t think at the time I wanted to run against Becca Taylor again,” Glatt said. “She come back and ran a hard race in the Desert Stormer. I was afraid I was setting her up for a bounce.”

Dance to the Music is quick enough to set the pace Thursday.

“Hopefully, she wins the allowance and we can go from there,” Glatt said.

Midnight Memories has won both her races. She won a maiden race April 30 at Santa Anita and an allowance race there June 5, both at 6 1/2 furlongs. She won those races while trained by Sean McCarthy when Baffert was suspended for a medication violation.

Midnight Memories, who has run from off the pace in her first two starts, drew the rail Thursday.

“If I could change it, I would,” Baffert said of the post.