Sloane Garden has second straight stakes win in Luther Burbank

Favored Sloane Garden ($4.60) won her second straight stakes and improved her record over the Golden Gate Fields turf course to 3-for-3, defeating stablemate Ziarah to win the $51,250 Luther Burbank Stakes on Saturday.

Trainer Manny Badilla enjoyed the stretch run as his two runners, both by the sire Iffraaj, looked ready to pounce on the leaders after straightening into the stretch.

“I really thought Ziarah could win it in the stretch, but I know Sloane Garden is the real deal,” Badilla said.

Badilla's confidence was well placed.

“I didn't give either rider instructions,” he said as both Kyle Frey aboard the winner and Frank Alvarado aboard the runner-up had great trips.

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Alvarado sat a comfortable fourth, while Frey was sixth, ahead of only longshot Augure.

Frey moved toward the rail entering the second turn and then made a strong three-wide move to get into the clear for the stretch run.

“He told me, 'I had them all in my sight,' ” Badilla said Frey told him after the race.

Both went past pacesetter Heathers Grey, who turned in a solid effort to be third, with Sloane Garden prevailing by three-quarters of a length while winning the 1 1/16-mile turf race in 1:43.18, a tick faster than her 1:43.39 winning time in the June 7 Golden Poppy.

Ziarah was scratched after refusing to enter the gate when favored in the Golden Poppy.

Both runners are owned by Ronald Charles and Samuel Gordon.

Sloane Garden earned $30,350 for her fourth win in 10 career starts, increasing her earnings to $122,207.

Badilla said he would make plans after seeing how the two came out of the race, but did not rule out a possible meeting with males in the Rolling Green when the regular summer Golden Gate meet begins following two weeks of Wine Country Racing.