Sometimes a prohibitive 3-5 favorite doesn't run his or her race, but sometimes one runs just as hoped and adds a cherry on top. Last-out GI Beholder Mile Stakes winner and Pamela C. Ziebarth homebred Sweet Azteca (f, 4, Sharp Azteca–So Sweetitiz, by Grand Slam) not only made it three in a row with a facile win in Saturday's GII Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos, but also set a new track record at Los Al for the distance, getting the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14.33.
At the Great Lady M start, Argentinean MGSW Super Shine (Arg) (Super Saver) veered dramatically to the left and spotted the field several lengths as GI La Brea Stakes winner Daddysruby (Frac Daddy) burst out of the fray to show the way. With Sweet Azteca attending the sizzling :21.65 and :43.96 pace, Anywho (Bolt d'Oro) briefly loomed but threw in the towel early. Sweet Azteca tipped outside on the turn and looked Daddysruby in the eye at the top of the lane. She wasn't in any hurry to swap to her correct lead, but once she did, she was gone. Despite Juan Hernandez wrapping up on her before the wire, Sweet Azteca won comfortably by five lengths while Daddysruby held second and Super Shine overcame that disastrous start to finish third.
“It was her first time here, first time shipping, and the configuration of the track is a little different than what she is used to and she was kind of playing a little bit at the top of the stretch, but she leveled off and got the job done,” said winning trainer Michael McCarthy. “She has certainly progressed all year long. Obviously the Beholder was a breakout performance for her. We had our sights set on taking her to Kentucky for the [May 4 GI] Derby City Distaff, but she busted open her knee in her stall getting excited for feed time one day, so we had to go to Plan B and this race fit on the calendar for us. It's always nice to win at Los Alamitos. I enjoy being here.”
Sweet Azteca debuted at Churchill Downs during Derby week in 2023 with a win and an 85 Beyer Speed Figure, not reappearing until New Year's Day with a third in the GIII Las Flores Stakes behind the re-opposing Chismosa (Clubhouse Ride). That would be her only career loss to date. A 12-length win in a Santa Anita optional allowance got her back on track in February and led to the Beholder win and 103 Beyer over MGISW powerhouse Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) in March. She signaled her readiness for the Great Lady M with a bullet five furlongs in :58 1/5 (1/51) at Santa Anita June 29.
Pedigree Notes:
Sweet Azteca is a fourth-generation homebred for Ziebarth, a daughter of the late Cecilia Straub Rubens, and her family. The filly traces directly to the family's spectacular mare Cee's Song, dam of Horse of the Year Tiznow and his GSW full-siblings Budroyale and Tizdubai. Sweet Azteca's dam, So Sweetitiz, is a granddaughter of another Tiznow full-sister in Tizsweet. So Sweetitiz produced a full-sister to Sweet Azteca Apr. 29. She also has a juvenile colt named Mucho Dulce (Mucho Macho Man) and a yearling colt named Under the Big Sky (Tonalist). So Sweetitiz is a daughter of the late Grand Slam, who has 97 stakes winners as a broodmare sire.
Sweet Azteca is the sole graded winner for Sharp Azteca, a former Three Chimneys stallion who is standing the 2024 breeding season at Shizunai Stallion Station in Japan. The son of New York sensation Freud has five black-type winners and is sending his third crop to the races this year.
SWEET ATZECA ($3.40) set a new course record for 6.5f in the $200,000 Great Lady M Stakes (G2) at @LosAlRacing. @JJHernandezS19 had her geared down crossing the line for trainer @mwmracing. Congrats to the connections! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/MdWEVMQVU2
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) July 7, 2024
Saturday, Los Alamitos
GREAT LADY M S.-GII, $202,500, Los Alamitos, 7-6, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:14.33, ft.
1–SWEET AZTECA, 124, f, 4, by Sharp Azteca
1st Dam: So Sweetitiz (MSW, $180,480),
by Grand Slam
2nd Dam: Sweetitiz, by El Prado (Ire)
3rd Dam: Tizsweet, by Cee's Tizzy
O/B-Pamela Cee Ziebarth (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy;
J-Juan J. Hernandez. $120,000. Lifetime Record: GISW,
5-4-0-1, $421,200. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Daddysruby, 124, f, 4, Frac Daddy–Youtheprizeandi, by
You and I. ($940,000 RNA 4yo '24 FTDMAR). O-Jethorse LLC,
Wachtel Stable and Barber, Gary; B-Jethorse LLC (CA);
T-Peter Miller. $40,000.
3–Super Shine (Arg), 124, m, 5, Super Saver–Sunshine Allie,
by Southern Halo. O-R Unicorn Stable; B-Firmamento (ARG);
T-Philip D'Amato. $24,000.
Margins: 5, 7, 2HF. Odds: 0.70, 7.30, 14.30.
Also Ran: Olivia Twist, Getthemoney, Irish Wahine, Chismosa, Anywho, Yuki (Chi), Three Witches.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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