Pamela Ziebarth’s homebred rolls to 12-length allowance score (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Mike Willman/Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.— On an otherwise nondescript, blustery afternoon at Santa Anita, railbirds just may’ve been treated to a glimpse of greatness to come, as Pamela Ziebarth’s homebred Sweet Azteca, in only her third career start, daylighted four rival fillies and mares in taking the day’s $67,000 allowance feature by 12 lengths. With Flavien Prat raised up in the saddle well before the wire, the 4-year-old daughter of Sweet Azteca stopped the clock for 6 ½ furlongs in 1:17.35—a very fast time on a day when the main track, although listed as fast was playing well below par.
Breaking alertly from her outside post, the Michael McCarthy-trained Sweet Azteca was immediately engaged with longshot Power Surge in the run to the far turn. Five sixteenths of a mile out, Sweet Azteca began to inch clear, and she had a one length advantage at the quarter pole. From there, she switched leads approaching the furlong marker and in the words of Track Announcer Frank Mirahmadi, “Sweet Azteca, just like that, opens up by 10 (lengths)!”
“Obviously, this was a fantastic performance today,” said McCarthy. “We were kind of expecting the same thing opening week (when third as the 6-5 favorite in the Grade III Las Flores Stakes on Jan. 1) but things just never materialized.
“It was kind of a muddled trip, but she put it all together today. She’s shown us a time or two in the morning, how special she really is. Her last work (a bullet 58.60 for five furlongs on Jan. 27) was out of sight. I’m glad she ran to her training today.”
And what might be next for Sweet Azteca?
“We’ll look at the Beholder Mile (Grade I, $400,000 on March 9).”
An impressive first-out maiden winner going six furlongs on May 2 at Churchill Downs and most recently beaten 2 ½ lengths in the Las Flores Jan. 1, Sweet Azteca was hammered down to 2-5 and paid $2.80, $2.10 and $2.10.
Bred in Kentucky and out of the Grand Slam mare So Sweetitiz, Sweet Azteca, who posted her second win from three starts, picked up $40,200 for the win, increasing her earnings to $121,200.
The second choice at 5-2 with Umberto Rispoli, Nokie rallied from off the place to finish second and paid $2.80 and $2.10 while finishing 3 ½ lengths in front of Power Surge, who paid $2.60 to show.
Fractions on the race were 22.57, 45.97 and 1:10.76.
Special early first post time for a 10-race card tomorrow is at 12:15 a.m. with admission gates opening at 10:15 a.m.
