Sweet Azteca completed a remarkable hat-trick in the Rancho Bernardo Stakes at Del Mar on Sunday, drawing clear in the closing stages to win the six-and-a-half-furlong Grade III contest by nearly five lengths.
The six-year-old travelled comfortably through the race under Juan Hernandez before being asked to quicken approaching the final turn. Once in front, the Richard Baltas-trained mare stretched away from her rivals and was eased through the final stages, stopping the clock in 1:16.51.
The victory extended Sweet Azteca’s unbeaten sequence in the Rancho Bernardo Stakes to three consecutive renewals. It also marked the ninth win of her career from 11 starts and her seventh success at stakes level.
For Baltas, the performance provided another confirmation of the mare’s consistency at Del Mar. Sweet Azteca had already established herself as a leading performer in the race over the previous two seasons, and this latest success strengthened that record.
Thermal emerged from the early stages as the main threat, but Sweet Azteca travelled strongly before gradually taking control of the contest. Hernandez waited until the field approached the three-eighths pole before asking for the decisive move.
The response was immediate. Sweet Azteca accelerated away from Thermal and continued to find enough in the straight to settle the outcome well before the winning post.
Thermal finished second, while Antifona stayed on for third. The final order gave the race a clear shape, with Sweet Azteca comfortably ahead of the two closest pursuers.
The Rancho Bernardo Stakes result also added another notable chapter to the mare’s record at Del Mar. Her latest time of 1:16.51 was slower than her winning times in the previous two renewals, but the manner of victory left little doubt that she had plenty in reserve.
Sweet Azteca, a daughter of Sharp Azteca, has now earned $847,200 during a career that continues to produce significant results. Her latest Grade III success came in a $100,000 contest, with $60,000 going to the winner.
The latest victory places Sweet Azteca among the notable repeat winners of the Rancho Bernardo Stakes. Winning the race once is a significant achievement; completing the three-year sequence underlines the mare’s unusual consistency over the Del Mar sprint distance.
Her record now stands at nine victories from 11 appearances, with the Rancho Bernardo Stakes forming one of the strongest recurring highlights of her career.
The result also gives Baltas another important success with a mare who has developed into one of the more reliable stakes performers on the Del Mar circuit.
Del Mar will now take a three-day break from racing before the programme resumes on Thursday, when the first race is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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