Kentucky-bred Adare Manor successfully defended her crown in the $400,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) at Del Mar on Saturday, Aug. 3. The impressive victory earned her a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), which will be held at the seaside oval in November.
Sent off as the prohibitive favorite, Adare Manor, racing along the inside, tracked pacesetter Scylla down the backstretch from third. Angled off the inside, she advanced on the leader three-wide around the far turn. In a strong rally, Adare Manor reeled in the Scylla in the lane and drew out late to score by 2 ¾ lengths. In winning her third consecutive graded event, Adare Manor covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.29. She won last year’s Hirsch by one length over Desert Dawn.
Three in a Row for Adare Manor
Prior to winning the Hirsch, Adare Manor won the Apple Blossom Stakes (G1) in April at Oaklawn Park and the Santa Margarita Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita in May. All told, she has won 10 of 18 starts and earned $2,096,600 for owner Michael Lund Petersen and trainer Bob Baffert. Adare Manor is a daughter of Uncle Mo bred in Kentucky by Town and Country Horse Farms and Gary Broad. She is out of the Giant Gizmo mare Brooklynsway.
“She broke good and relaxed, so I was happy,” said winning rider Juan Hernandez. “This wasn’t a perfect trip for her, but it was fine. She’s not bothered by kick back, so where we were was OK. I rode her with a lot of confidence. She was running with a lot of confidence. We made our way through that little bit of trouble we had, and she was off and running. She is one of the best fillies I’ve ever ridden.”
Pasqual Rivera, a foreman in the Baffert barn, said, “She ran a good race. She was relaxed inside. I was a little worried at the three-eighths pole. She was still inside, but past the quarter pole when they straightened out into the stretch, she came outside and she started running.”