Facing just three rivals, Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) controlled the tempo from the get-go before romping home the easiest of winners in the GII Santa Margarita S. at Santa Anita Sunday. The 1-9 favorite went quickly to the lead and loped along unchallenged through fractions of :23.65 and :48.77. She opened up under her own steam into the lane and was under wraps as she glided under the wire 4 1/4 lengths in front, completing the nine furlongs in 1:50.86.
“She broke really sharp out of the gate,” said winning jockey Juan Hernandez. “I didn't ask her, I just let her go. She loves to run behind the pace, but today I was the pace, so she wanted to go. She was a little aggressive out of the gate, she relaxed took a breath, and just kept on going. Today, she just was trying to go a little earlier. She was trying to take off around the five-eighths pole, so I had to hold her for a little while. At the quarter pole, she switched leads and just kept going.”
Adare Manor captured last year's Santa Margarita as part of a four-race win streak that also included victories in the GII Santa Maria S., GI Clement L. Hirsch S. and GII Zenyatta S. She concluded 2023 with a seventh-place effort in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.
In her first outing of 2024, she was second in the Mar. 9 GI Beholder Mile and she was returning to the West Coast after romping to a front-running 5 1/2-length victory in the Apr. 13 GI Apple Blossom H.
With her win Sunday, Adare Manor has won seven of her 12 starts at Santa Anita and has hit the board in all but one of those outings. She became the first filly to complete the Santa Margarita/Apple Blossom double in one year since champion Zenyatta and the last repeat winner of the Santa Margarita since Hall of Famer Bayakoa in 1989 and 1990.
“Well, we wanted the 'W' and that was the main thing,” said winning trainer Bob Baffert. “She was training great for this, she had a big effort last time, but she handled it well and I thought this was a good spot. There won't be another spot until we get to Del Mar for a while. We just really enjoy her and that's why Michael Lund Petersen is in the business, to watch his horses run. He says he needs more, so we're going to buy him some. He needs more action.”
Baffert continued, “Michael has learned the ups and downs of racing, it's tough, but it's horses like this that make it all worthwhile and makes it fun. That's why we're in this game. We love our horses, we love competing, we love watching them compete and when you get a good one like this, you better enjoy them because they are hard to find.”
Pedigree Notes:
Brooklynsway RNA'd for $1.2 million at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale. The mare's filly Nosleeptilbrooklyn (Ghostzapper) sold for $500,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. She produced a colt by Uncle Mo last year, but aborted a Tapit foal this year.
Sunday, Santa Anita Park
SANTA MARGARITA S.-GII, $196,000, Santa Anita, 5-26, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:50.86, ft.
1–ADARE MANOR, 126, m, 5, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Brooklynsway (GSW-USA, MSW & GSP-Can, $724,597), by Giant Gizmo
2nd Dam: Explosive Story, by Radio Star
3rd Dam: Maya's Note, by Editor's Note
($180,000 Ylg '20 FTKFEB; $190,000 RNA Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $375,000 2yo '21 OBSOPN). O-Michael Lund Petersen; B-Town & Country Horse Farms, LLC & Gary Broad (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $120,000. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 17-9-5-0, $1,856,600. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Coffee in Bed, 126, f, 4, Curlin–Sumptuous, by Hennessy.($500,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. $40,000.
3–Hennys Crazy Train, 122, m, 6, Tale of Ekati–Conspicuous, by Ghostzapper. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Alan G. Mindell; B-Dream Walkin Farms Inc (KY); T-John W. Sadler. $24,000.
Margins: 4 1/4, HF, 10. Odds: 0.05, 10.30, 26.70.
Also Ran: Super Shine (Arg). Scratched: Blue Dream Machine.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
She came, she saw, she conquered… again!
#5 ADARE MANOR repeated in the $200,000 Santa Margarita Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita, scoring for fun under @JJHernandezS19. Bob Baffert trains the daughter of @coolmoreamerica Uncle Mo. pic.twitter.com/sU29h5nGl3
— FanDuel Racing (Formerly TVG) (@FanDuel_Racing) May 27, 2024
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