Private Mission holds off Blue Stripe's late run in Santa Maria

ARCADIA, Calif. - Private Mission rose to prominence last summer and fall with two stakes wins in which she attended the pace in two-turn graded stakes for fillies and mares.

The same tactic provided the 4-year-old Private Mission with her first stakes win of 2022 in Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita in a manner that suggests she will again play a leading role in the division this year.

Ridden by leading jockey Juan Hernandez, Private Mission ($4.80) tracked pacesetter Lady Mystify to the turn before taking a commanding lead in early stretch. Private Mission drew away to lead by 2 1/2 lengths with a furlong remaining and held off a late run from 8-5 Blue Stripe to win by three-quarters of a length.

“She broke very sharp, but the inside horse broke better than me,” Hernandez said, referring to Lady Mystify. “I decided to sit outside of her.”

Private Mission was always within 1 1/2 lengths of Lady Mystify.

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“She’s a professional filly,” Hernandez said of Private Mission. “She was waiting for me to ask her to go.”

Private Mission was timed in 1:43.46 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 90.

Blue Stripe, the winner of the Grade 2 Santa Margarita Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on April 30, closed from fourth on the turn to reach a prominent position in the stretch. Blue Stripe finished a half-length in front of 9-1 Varda.

Lady Mystify faded to finish fourth, followed by Midnight Jamboree and Bye Bye Bertie.

Private Mission and Varda are owned by Susan and Charles Chu’s Baoma Corp., and trained by Sean McCarthy.

Both were previously trained by Bob Baffert, who is currently suspended for a medication violation found in a post-race test taken from 2021 Kentucky Derby first-place finisher Medina Spirit. The 90-day suspension ends in early July.

McCarthy took over the bulk of the Baffert stable during the suspension. The Santa Maria was McCarthy’s third win of the month with a former Baffert-trained runner.

Private Mission, by Into Mischief, has won 5 of 9 starts and earned $397,300.

The $200,500 Santa Maria was Private Mission’s second start of the year, preceded by a well-beaten second in the Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes at six furlongs in March when trained by Baffert.

Private Mission won the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar last August and the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita last October before finishing last of 11 in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar in November. Private Mission set a quick pace in the BC Distaff before fading from contention.