Sweet Azteca skips Ballerina, points to Rancho Bernardo at Del Mar instead

DEL MAR, Calif. – Grade 1 winner Sweet Azteca will stay home this weekend to run for a $100,000 purse in the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar rather than ship to Saratoga for a shot at a $500,000 purse in the Grade 1 Ballerina on Saturday at Saratoga.

“We gave a lot of thought to going back there,” trainer Michael McCarthy said Sunday. “I think, ultimately, the difference was the Breeders’ Cup is held here (Del Mar) in November.”

Sweet Azteca has won four races and $421,200 from five starts for owner-breeder Pam Ziebarth. In her most recent start July 6 at Los Alamitos, she won the Grade 2 Great Lady M by five lengths with a career-high 106 Beyer.

Flavien Prat has been booked to ride Sweet Azteca, McCarthy confirmed on Sunday afternoon. Prat was aboard Sweet Azteca for consecutive wins in an allowance race and the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita earlier this year.

Prat replaces Juan Hernandez, who rode Sweet Azteca for the first time in the Great Lady M. Stakes.

Although 16 fillies and mares are nominated to the Rancho Bernardo, the presence of Sweet Azteca is sure to limit field size. Favorites have won the 6 1/2-furlong Rancho Bernardo each of the last four years; favorites are 15-for-24 in the race since 2000.

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