Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire

Five Graded Winners Vie in Del Mar's Hirsch

Baffert fillies will meet two trained by Phil D'Amato and one by John Sadler.

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By Tracy Gantz

Adare Manor, winner of back-to-back graded races at Santa Anita, and reigning California-bred Horse of the Year and grade 1 winner Fun to Dream will represent the Bob Baffert barn in the Aug. 5 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) at Del Mar. They are slated to meet graded winners Desert Dawn, Elm Drive, and Kirstenbosch.

"We've been pointing them for this race, and they've both been training extremely well," Baffert said. "It's a good spot. They are two nice fillies and there are some other nice fillies in there."

Not only is the Hirsch a grade 1 event, it comes with a "Win & You're In" berth to the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). Last year, Blue Stripe won the Hirsch and came within a nose of defeating champion Malathaat in the Distaff (G1). The Hirsch's most famous winner, certainly in recent times, is the great Zenyatta . She dominated the race from 2008-09 and went on to capture the 2008 Distaff (then known as the Ladies Classic) and 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and just miss in the 2010 Classic.

Baffert won the 1 1/16-mile Hirsch, named for the late co-founder of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, in 2020 with Fighting Mad . Both of his 2023 runners have won at the distance. Adare Manor has compiled a three-race winning streak at Santa Anita: a March 31 mile allowance/optional claimer, the 1 1/16-mile Santa Maria Stakes (G2), and the 1 1/8-mile Santa Margarita Stakes (G2). Fun to Dream has won four stakes at seven furlongs, including the Dec. 26 La Brea Stakes (G1), and crushed allowance foes by 4 3/4 lengths in her only attempt at 1 1/16 miles, last October.

"Adare Manor--the distance shouldn't be a problem for her," Baffert said. "She's handled it really well. Adare Manor is a big, long-striding filly. She covers a lot of ground."

Michael Lund Petersen owns the 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Uncle Mo --Brooklynsway , by Giant Gizmo . Donato Lanni bought Adare Manor for $375,000 at the 2021 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company June 2-year-old sale. Juan Hernandez, who has been riding both of Baffert's entrants, sticks with Adare Manor from post 3.

Baffert bred Fun to Dream in partnership with Connie Pageler, who owns the 4-year-old daughter of Arrogate --Lutess , by Maria's Mon , with Baffert's wife, Jill. Not only did Fun to Dream earn the 2022 Cal-bred Horse of the Year title, she took home trophies for the year's champion Cal-bred 3-year-old female and sprinter.

"She makes my heart skip a beat whenever I see her, and she's brought our family so much joy," Jill Baffert said during the Cal-bred awards ceremony March 6. Five days later, Fun to Dream ran a gutsy second by just a head to Brad Cox-trained A Mo Reay in the Beholder Mile (G1) at Santa Anita. The Hirsch will be Fun to Dream's first race since the Beholder.

"She got caught last time in the Beholder—she ran a big race there," Bob Baffert said.

While Baffert acknowledged that seven furlongs is a good distance for Fun to Dream, he noted that she has only tried two turns twice.

"I waited for this race with her," Baffert said. "I could have run her in the Great Lady M. (6 1/2 furlongs July 4) at Los Alamitos."

Instead, Baffert won the Great Lady M. with Eda , saving Fun to Dream for the Hirsch to "see how she'll handle two turns in this kind of company," he said. Ramon Vazquez will ride Fun to Dream for the first time, and she drew post 2.

Adare Manor and Fun to Dream could both participate in Breeders' Cup races, Baffert said, depending on how they perform between now and then, Adare Manor in the Distaff and Fun to Dream in either the Distaff or the Filly and Mare Sprint (G1).

Elm Drive, trained by Phil D'Amato and to be ridden by Ricardo Gonzalez from the rail, ran third in the Great Lady M. after back-to-back wins in the Monrovia Stakes (G3) and Mizdirection Stakes. Both of those races had been scheduled for the Santa Anita downhill turf course distance of about 6 1/2 furlongs, though the Monrovia was switched to the dirt. Elm Drive has attempted two turns just once, running seventh in the 2021 Chandelier Stakes (G2) as a 2-year-old.

D'Amato's other entrant, Desert Dawn, has history in the Hirsch, having finished second last year to Blue Stripe. Desert Dawn won the 2022 Santa Anita Oaks (G2) at 1 1/16 miles and has placed in five graded stakes in seven attempts since then. She most recently finished third in the Santa Margarita. Regular rider Umberto Rispoli returns on Desert Dawn from post 5. D'Amato, Del Mar's current leading trainer, would be winning his first Hirsch.

Second in the Santa Margarita, Kirstenbosch won the Jan. 15 La Canada Stakes (G3). She rounds out the field from post 4 and will have current Del Mar leading rider Hector Berrios aboard. Kirstenbosch comes from the barn of trainer John Sadler, who has won the Hirsch five times, with champion Stellar Wind in 2016-17, Ollie's Candy in 2019, Iotapa in 2014, and Healthy Addiction 2006.