Santa Anita: Adare Manor looks BC-ready after Zenyatta win

Adare Manor, in search of her fifth consecutive win andfourth graded-stakes score, was dispatched as the prohibitive 1-9 favorite inSunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes, and she certainly ran to thebetting, coasting to a 5 1/4-length score under Juan Hernández.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Adare Manor got 1 1/16 miles eased atthe wire in 1:43.70, and she will be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov.4 at Santa Anita.

“She just keeps improving, and we wanted to see somethinglike this to see if we were going to take a crack at the Breeders’ Cup,”Baffert said. “So I think if she comes out of it well, we will go for it.”

Breaking sharply and in firm control throughout, Adare Manorhad a 2 1/2-length lead on Desert Dawn leaving the quarter pole, where Hernándeztook a peek back to his left. From there the 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mowidened while well within herself.

??#1 ADARE MANOR ($2.20) wires the G2 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita for her fifth consecutive victory.

The G1-winning daughter of @coolmoreamerica's Uncle Mo was ridden by @JJHernandezS19 for trainer Bob Baffert and Michael Lund Petersen. pic.twitter.com/EZljJtPGQM

— TVG (@TVG) October 1, 2023

“Today all the credit goes to my filly, to Bob and his team,”Hernández said. “They brought her ready. She broke a little slow the lastcouple of times, but today she broke on her own. I didn’t even have to pushher. She was just galloping around on the lead, and I didn’t do much today.”

A winner of a pair of Grade 2 stakes on the same track thispast spring, namely the Santa Maria and the Santa Margarita, Adare Manor wasmost recently a one-length winner of the Clement L. Hirsch (G1) at Del Margoing Sunday’s distance Aug. 5.

With no show wagering, Adare Manor paid $2.20 and $2.10.Owned by Michael Lund Petersen, she is out of the Giant Gizmo mareBrooklynsway, and she picked up $120,000 to increase her earnings to $981,600from an overall race record of 13: 7-4-0.

Consistent Arizona-bred Desert Dawn, trained by PhilD’Amato, clearly was second best, finishing 6 1/4 lengths in front of MicroShare, who at 5-1 with Umberto Rispoli paid $2.40 to show.

Fractions for the Zenyatta were 23.71, 47.91, 1:11.96 and1:37.04.

Espinoza rides Balladeerto John Henry win

Although he is a three-time Kentucky Derby winner and wasinducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017, business has been slow of late for VíctorEspinoza. In the $200,000 John Henry Turf Championship (G2) the 51-year-oldnative of México City looked half his age and took no prisoners while aboardtrainer George Papaprodromou’s Balladeer for the first time, leading sevenrivals on a merry chase en route to a half-length score while 1 1/4 miles in1:58.94.

??#4 BALLADEER ($15.00) and @VictorEspinoza led virtually every step of the $200,000 G2 John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita!

The colt by @WinStarFarm's Distorted Humor is trained by @papaprodromou for Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran. Congratulations to the connections! pic.twitter.com/sDLI8c1MHH

— TVG (@TVG) October 1, 2023

Fresh off a rousing gate to wire score going 1 5/16 miles onturf under Florent Géroux at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 9, Balladeer was keen outof the gate and wide in the short run down the hillside turf to the dirtcrossing. He settled into a nice, rhythmic stride as the field came past thewire for the first time.

Espinoza had Balladeer bounding along to the far turn while last year’s JohnHenry winner Masteroffoxhounds loomed dangerously, cutting Balladeer’s lead toa half-length at the quarter pole. Balladeer was far from finished, and he repelledthe challenge while staying on gamely to prevail in a huge effort.

Off at 6-1 in his second stakesassignment, Balladeer paid $15.00, $9.00 and $6.60.

A 4-year-old colt owned byCalvin Nguyen and Joey Tran and sired by Distorted Humor out of the Galileomare Golden Ballad, Balladeer picked up $120,000 for the win, increasing hisearnings to $367,290 from an overall mark of 18: 4-2-2.

Trained by Phil D’Amato andridden by Edwin Maldonado, Masteroffoxhounds ran a tremendous race and actuallywas gaining on the winner at the wire but had to settle for second place,finishing 1 1/4 lengths in front of Speaking Scout. Off at 12-1,Masteroffoxhounds paid $8.60 and $6.00.

Next to last heading to thefar turn, Speaking Scout, off at 7-1 with Joel Rosario, paid $4.60 to show afterfinishing a half-length in front of Brazil-bred Planetario.

Early fractions were 23.36,47.41, 1:12.07 and 1:35.95.

Missed the Cut make theTokyo City Cup

Originally based in England, John Sadler’s long-fused Missedthe Cut went from turf to dirt and responded with his first stateside victory,winning by 5 1/2 lengths at 1 1/2 miles in the $100,000 Tokyo City Cup (G3). Confidentlyridden by Rispoli, he got the trip in 2:32.78.

??#1 MISSED THE CUT ($3.20) makes the grade in the G3 Tokyo City Cup Stakes at Santa Anita under @umbyrispoli for trainer @johnwsadler.

Congratulations to the connections! pic.twitter.com/fjzLoqQgdw

— TVG (@TVG) October 1, 2023

With the field reduced to four runners by the late scratchof Donner Lake, Rispoli was intent on attending the pace set by Bob Baffert’sAzul Coast, who showed the way to the quarter pole. Missed the Cut saved groundat the rail and then swung three-wide outside of both Azul Coast and Kiss TodayGoodbye, who wrested control from the pacesetter turning for home.

At that point Missed the Cut was ready for his best, and hesailed by Kiss Today Goodbye under mild, hand urging and appeared to find hisbest stride late in a dominant effort.

Most recently a close fourth going 1 3/8 miles on grass inthe Del Mar Handicap (G2) on Sept. 2, Missed the Cut was off at 3-5 and paid$3.20 and $2.20 with no show wagering. Owned by Bee Zee, Lanes End Racing, St.Elias Stables, Edward Babington, Edward Hudson and Lynne Hudson, the 4-year-oldKentucky-bred by Quality Road had three minor-stakes wins on grass in Englandat age 3 and is 11: 5-1-0. With the $60,000 winner’s share, he increased hisearnings to $285,777.

Ridden by Héctor Berrios, Kiss Today Goodbye bested AzulCoast by 4 1/4 lengths for second. Off at 6-1, he paid $4.60 to place.

Fractions for the race were 24.65, 49.79, 1:15.23, 1:41.67and 2:07.39.