Lady Claypoole's likely next start could be Gamely Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Richard Baltas may be the person most surprised by the three-race winning streak compiled by the turf mare Lady Claypoole in the last seven weeks.

Lady Claypoole, who races for the Abbondanza Racing partnership and Omar Aldabbagh, won her stakes debut in the Grade 3 Santa Ana Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita on Saturday. Earlier this year, she won consecutive allowance races at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Jan. 25 and Feb. 9.

“I never thought she’d be this good,” Baltas said on Sunday. “It’s hard for a horse to win three in a row on this circuit and do it easily. I’m not sure she’ll win a Grade 1, but she might. She’s good right now.”

Lady Claypoole is likely to have her next start in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes, a $300,000 race at 1 1/8 miles on turf on May 26, Baltas said.

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A 5-year-old Irish-bred mare, Lady Claypoole ended a seven-race losing streak on Jan. 25, although she tipped her current form with a nose loss in an allowance race at a mile on turf on Dec. 26.

Baltas said one of the keys to success has been jockey Tiago Pereira, who has been aboard for each win.

“She’s really come around,” Baltas said. “She is more ratable, and the jockey fits her well.”

Baltas said Lady Claypoole benefits from being based at the San Luis Rey Downs training center, a quieter setting in the mornings than Santa Anita. She has also held her weight better than earlier in her career, Baltas said.

Racing luck has helped, too. There were races last summer and fall in which Lady Claypoole encountered trouble.

“At Del Mar, she was always in a (bad) spot,” Baltas said.

In the $101,000 Santa Ana Stakes, Lady Claypoole closed from last of seven to win by 2 1/2 lengths over Mrs. Astor, the winner of two Grade 3 stakes for fillies and mares at Del Mar and Santa Anita in November and December.

“She won pretty easily,” Baltas said.

Lady Claypoole was the second stakes winner for Baltas this year. The 3-year-old Scipio won the Baffle Stakes for turf sprinters on Feb. 16. Scipio is scheduled to start in the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes, a $600,000 race for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Keeneland on April 4.

Baltas has two highly regarded older mares at the start of their preparations for a return to racing in coming months.

Ag Bullet, a four-time stakes winner in 2024 who was third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint last November and third in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar last December, resumed workouts earlier this month.

Sweet Azteca, previously trained by Michael McCarthy, is nearing her first workout of 2025. A three-time stakes winner in 2024 for owner and breeder Pamela Ziebarth, Sweet Azteca has not raced since she finished fourth in the Grade 3 Chillingworth Stakes at Santa Anita last October. She was withdrawn from consideration for the BC Filly and Mare Sprint shortly after that setback.

Sweet Azteca has won 5 of 7 starts. She won the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita in 2024.

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