Adare Manor leads field of 6 in Santa Maria Stakes

Fresh off a sharp allowance score at one mile, Bob Baffert’s Adare Manor leads a field of six older fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles in Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita.

A gate-to-wire winner at odds of 1-2 on March 31, Adare Manor posted a solid 92 Beyer Speed Figure in what was her second start of the year. A runaway 13-length winner going one mile in the Las Virgenes (G3) at Santa Anita on Feb. 6, 2022, she was then a close second as the 3-5 favorite in last year’s Santa Anita Oaks (G2).

Subsequently second in the Black Eyed Susan (G2) at Pimlico on May 20, 2022, Adare Manor was well beaten in the Cotillion Stakes (G1) Sept. 24 at Parx. Idle prior to her 4-year-old debut at Santa Anita on Feb. 18, a seven-furlong allowance in which she ran second at 4-5, she’ll be making her 10th career start on Saturday.

A 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo out of the Giant Gizmo mare Brooklynsway, Adare Manor is owned by Michael Lund Petersen and will be ridden for the third time in a row by Juan Hernandez. With three wins and four seconds, she has earnings of $381,600.

Keith Abrahams’ homebred Kirstenbosch, a game nose winner of the La Cañada Stakes (G3) three starts back on Jan. 15, will be handled for the fifth consecutive time by Kazushi Kimura, as he’ll return from his base at Woodbine to ride at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Trained by John Sadler, Kirstenbosch was most recently third, beaten one length in the Monrovia (G3) at 6 1/2 furlongs on dirt April 8, and she’s well positioned to bring her best in the Santa Maria. Bred in Kentucky, Kirstenbosch is a 4-year-old filly by Midnight Lute out of the Belong to Me mare Llandudno.

With an overall mark of 12: 3-3-2, she has earnings of $368,480.

Although her resume is light in terms of graded-stakes experience, Sadler’s Big Switch, most recently second, beaten a head by Adare Manor in a one-mile allowance March 31, appears to be a solid fit in her second graded-stakes assignment.

Owned and bred in California by George Krikorian, Big Switch is a two-time statebred stakes winner making her ninth career start at age 4. By Mr. Big out of the Malibu Moon mare Two Faced Moon, Big Switch, who is unbeaten in two tries at 1 1/16 miles, once again will be forwardly placed with Joe Bravo back aboard.

With earnings of $339,924, she has four wins and two seconds to her credit.