Queen of Thorns will be tested by Adare Manor in Las Virgenes

The 3-year-old filly had the perfect start to the year a few weeks ago. She broke sharply, took command of the race in the opening furlong and was never bothered, winning comfortably as an odds-on favorite.

Yes, there was a lot to like about the eight-length debut win of Queen of Thorns in a six-furlong maiden race at Santa Anita on Jan. 1, a victory that has led to a start in the Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes against four rivals at Santa Anita on Sunday.

One of the opposing fillies is Adare Manor, who also had a perfect start to 2022 with a front-running win by 12 lengths in a one-mile maiden special weight race in her third career start on Jan. 7.

Adare Manor, trained by Bob Baffert, will be favored in the $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes, a prep for the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 9.

The Las Virgenes will give trainer Peter Eurton an immediate assessment on where Queen of Thorns fits in the rankings of 3-year-old fillies.

:: Win big at Santa Anita: Get DRF Past Performances, Picks, Clocker Reports and Betting Strategies.

“She will be running against one of the top five fillies in the country,” Eurton said of Adare Manor. “You’ll find out if you’re good enough right away.”

Purchased for $300,000 at a 2-year-olds in-training sale last April, Queen of Thorns races for the partnership of Exline-Border Racing, Richard Hausman, William Hudock, Aaron Kennedy, and Susanna Wilson.

Flavien Prat was aboard Queen of Thorns in the Jan. 1 race and has the mount on Sunday. Prat is expected to have Queen of Thorns near the front.

“I would see her get into a nice rhythm,” Eurton said. “I’m not going to tell Flavien what to do. He won’t choke her down. She’s worked in company a zillion times when she doesn’t get overanxious. She can cruise along like you’re my best friend. If she’s on the lead, I have no problem with it.”

Baffert also sends out Eda, who won the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Los Alamitos on Dec. 4 for her third consecutive stakes win.

Eda was fifth as the 6-5 favorite in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs last September when she was part of a quick pace before fading. Eda has not lost since. She won two minor sprint stakes – the Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita and Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar in the fall – by racing near the front throughout.

Gracelund Gray and Miss Everything are the other two runners in the Las Virgenes.

Gracelund Gray won two sprints on dirt by a combined 37 1/4 lengths at Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada last fall. Now trained by Howard Zucker, Gracelund Gray was a troubled second in an allowance race at six furlongs on turf at Santa Anita on Jan. 16, closing well through the stretch to miss by a length.

Miss Everything was third behind Adare Manor on Jan. 7 and is in the Las Virgenes field after a recent maiden special weight failed to draw sufficient entries.

“We’re taking a shot,” trainer Keith Desormeaux said. “I think she’s an awesome horse.”