Santa Anita: Baffert's Adare Manor cruises to Santa Margarita win

On a day when legendary middle linebacker Dick Butkus was poised to present the winner’s trophy, 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 2, $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 and won by 4 1/2 lengths.

Although multiple stakes winning Desert Dawn was hustled to keep her company early, Adare Manor made a relatively easy lead into the 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 current meet. “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.”

A 4 3/4-length winner of the Santa Maria Stakes (G2) on April 29, Adare Manor was off at 1-5 Saturday and returned $2.60.

A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Uncle Mo out of the Giant Gizmo mare Brooklynsway, Adare Manor notched her third graded stakes win and her fifth win from 11 overall starts for owner Michael Lund Petersen. With the winner’s share of $120,000, she increased her earnings to $621,600.

Baffert, who was away to saddle Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure in the Belmont Stakes, got his third career win in the Santa Margarita which was contested for the 84th time.

In search of her second graded stakes win, Desert Dawn paid the price for chasing the winner early, as she tired a 16th of a mile from home, finishing 2 1/2 lengths behind Kirstenbosch.

Ridden by Hector Berrios, Kirstenbosch rallied nicely for the place ahead of Desert Dawn in third and Smoothlikebuttah in fourth.