Sweet Azteca likely to end layoff with start in Great Lady M.
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After a slight adjustment to her workout schedule, the three-time graded stakes winner Sweet Azteca is on schedule for her first start since October in a tough running of the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos on July 5.
On Saturday at Santa Anita, Sweet Azteca worked six furlongs in 1:12.80, her first work since a fast five furlongs in 58.80 seconds on June 11.
“Hopefully, everything goes well,” trainer Richard Baltas said. “She’s just about ready.”
Baltas said he gave Sweet Azteca a 10-day gap between works to align her workout schedule with the $200,000 Great Lady M. Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Baltas has one more workout scheduled for Sweet Azteca next Saturday.
“I can work her Saturday and she’ll be ready to go,” he said.
Baltas knows he needs preparations to be ideal for Sweet Azteca’s appearance in the Great Lady M. Stakes, a race she won in 2024 when trained by Michael McCarthy.
Looming at the top of the list of candidates for the Great Lady M. Stakes is Kopion, the division leader and impressive winner of the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs on May 3.
Despite the lack of a recent race, Sweet Azteca, and Kopion’s other rivals, may need a career-best performance to win the Great Lady M.
During Saturday’s workout, Baltas timed Sweet Azteca in 1:00 through the first five furlongs. The six-furlong time, he said, reflected Sweet Azteca’s gallop out.
Sweet Azteca, who races for owner and breeder Pamela Ziebarth, has yet to start for Baltas. She was transferred to his stable last winter.
Sweet Azteca, winner of the Grade 1 Beholder Mile for fillies and mares at Santa Anita in March 2024, was a heavy morning-line favorite to win the Desert Stormer Stakes at Santa Anita on June 1, but was withdrawn on race morning after sustaining a cut on a leg, Baltas said at the time.
The list of leading candidates for the Great Lady M. Stakes includes the 4-year-old One Magic Philly, who worked six furlongs in 1:11.40 from the gate at Santa Anita on Saturday.
Trained by Phil D’Amato for John Gallegos, One Magic Philly finished third by two lengths in the Skipat Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs at Pimlico on May 17 in her 2025 debut.
On Sunday, D’Amato described One Magic Philly as “on target” for the Great Lady M.
“No doubt it’s a deep field,” he said. “I love the way my filly breezed.”
Last October, One Magic Philly won the Grade 3 Chillingworth Stakes at Santa Anita, a race in which Sweet Azteca was a well-beaten fourth as the 1-10 favorite.
One Magic Philly later finished sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar in November, and sixth in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita in December.
Antonio Fresu is booked to ride One Magic Philly, while Juan Hernandez is scheduled to have the mount on Sweet Azteca. Kazushi Kimura is set to ride Kopion for trainer Richard Mandella.
Other possible runners are Chismosa, who was second in the 2023 Great Lady M. Stakes and second in the Desert Stormer Stakes earlier this month for trainer Rafael DeLeon.
Trainer Michael McCarthy said on Sunday that he has nominated Barbara T, the sharp winner of an allowance race at six furlongs at Santa Anita on April 25 in her only start this year; and Pushiness, the winner of two sprint stakes for California-breds who was second in an allowance race on turf at Santa Anita on April 18.
Trainer Bob Baffert said in a text message on Sunday that he has not finalized his runners for the Great Lady M. Stakes. One possible starter for Baffert is Richi, who worked a half-mile on Sunday in 48.20 seconds.
Richi won the Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes at six furlongs at Santa Anita in January and the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes at 1 1/16 miles there on April 19 in her last start.
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