Just like maiden win, Adare Manor crushes rivals in Las Virgenes
In a near replica of her smashing maiden win, Michael Lund Petersen’s Adare Manor crushed three rivals in winning by 13 lengths in Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita.
Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by John Velázquez, Adare Manor got one mile in 1:37.11.
The race was a qualifying prep for the Kentucky Oaks, but because Baffert and his horses are under a ban from Churchill Downs, the 10 points Adare Manor would have earned were vacated.
With long shot Gracelund Gray going to the front, Adare Manor, who was well in hand, tracked her to the 3 1/2-furlong pole and began to inch away as she quickly asserted her superiority.
Turning for home, the Las Virgenes was a fait accompli, as Adare Manor opened up six lengths on Queen of Thorns in what developed into an equine procession.
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“Today, I engaged her right from the gate, and she got a little bit strong at the first turn, so I had to grab her a little bit to slow her down the first part of the race,” said Velázquez, who was aboard for a 12-length, gate-to-wire, maiden victory at the same distance on Jan. 7. “Once we got to the half-mile pole, I kind of put my hands down on her, and her long stride just kept going like that.
“I just left her alone and let her get into her rhythm, and she just showed up today. I looked back a couple of times, and I slowed it down. I looked up and saw they were pretty far (back), and I backed up thinking I should save something here, although she was breathing fire up front. I didn’t want to ask her down the lane, and then Bob would get mad at me. I definitely wanted to save something.”
In her first stakes appearance, Adare Manor, a filly by Uncle Mo out of the Giant Gizmo mare Brooklynsway, was off at 2-5 and paid $2.80 and $2.10 with no show wagering.
“She duplicated her last race. She’s got that big, long stride on her,” said Baffert, who notched his record sixth win in the Las Virgenes. “I sprinted her twice, and I thought she’d win each of those times, and then I thought, well, she wants to go long. She’s like an amazon, she’s got that big, powerful (way of moving).
“She’s got that big frame, but she’s quick. She relaxed nicely today. I think that time is pretty serious on this track. Just got to keep them healthy. I’ve run her twice now (at the current meet). I don’t want to come back too quick with her.”
Adare Manor is now 4: 2-1-0 and, with the winner’s share of $120,000, she increased her earnings to $176,600.
In what amounted to a separate race, Queen of Thorns, who was second turning for home, stayed there, finishing 1 1/4 lengths in front of Miss Everything.
Ridden by Flavien Prat, Queen of Thorns was off at 5-2 and paid $2.60 to place.
Fractions for the race were 22.72, 46.66, 1:11.06 and 1:23.75.