Bob Baffert’s heavily favored Adare Manor didn’t disappoint, as she completely dominated four rivals going a mile and one eighth in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita. Ridden to her third consecutive victory by Juan Hernandez, she got the distance in 1:49.79.
Although multiple stakes-winning Desert Dawn was hustled to keep her company early, Adare Manor made a relatively easy lead into the Club House turn, enabling Hernandez to fold over to the rail from his number two post position and from there, the Santa Margarita was never in doubt. “She moves really smooth,” said Hernandez, who registered his meet-leading 10th stakes win and 34th overall victory on this, the 24th day of Santa Anita’s Hollywood Meeting. “She just takes me there, I just let her go and you don’t feel anything because she was just galloping and moving really smooth. She is really fun.”