CYPRESS, Calif. - Fourth of July weekend at Los Alamitos brings out the best in Sweet Azteca.
On July 6, 2024, Sweet Azteca won the second stakes of her career in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes for fillies and mares. She prevailed by five lengths, finishing 6 1/2 furlongs in track-record time of 1:14.33.
On Saturday, Sweet Azteca won her first start since October in the $200,500 Great Lady M. Stakes, leading throughout and finishing in 1:14.32 to slightly lower the track record. Saturday’s win was Sweet Azteca’s fourth stakes win.
Sweet Azteca earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 102 compared to a 106 figure for her 2024 win in the Great Lady M.
On Saturday, Sweet Azteca ($9) finished 1 1/2 lengths in front of 1-5 favorite Kopion, who had won three consecutive sprint stakes for fillies and mares since late December to claim the position as the nation’s leading sprint female.
Sweet Azteca showed on Saturday that she will be an important part of the division in the second half of 2025.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Sweet Azteca broke sharply to lead by a length. Hernandez said the start was key to Sweet Azteca’s win.
“I think she won the race out of the gate,” Hernandez said.
“She loves this track.”
Through an early pace of 21.95 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 43.87 for a half-mile, Sweet Azteca held a one-length advantage over Kopion. Approaching the long stretch, Sweet Azteca drifted out toward the center of the track, carrying Kopion wide.
“She was getting out a little bit,” Hernandez said.
“I didn’t want to fight her. Here, the best part of the track is the middle of the track. She was there already.”
In early stretch, jockey Kazushi Kimura moved Kopion to the inside of Sweet Azteca. Sweet Azteca led by two lengths with a furlong remaining and won by 1 1/2 lengths.
The Great Lady M. Stakes was Kopion’s first start since a three-length win in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at seven furlongs at Churchill Downs on May 3. Kopion was beaten for only the third time in her eight-race career.
Kimura “said she did everything right and ran hard,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “The other filly is a good filly.”
Chismosa, a 49-1 outsider, finished third, beaten 3 1/2 lengths. Super Shine finished fourth, followed by One Magic Philly and Barbara T in the field of six.
Sweet Azteca races for owner and breeder Pamela Ziebarth and trainer Richard Baltas, who added the 5-year-old mare to his stable last winter. Michael McCarthy trained Sweet Azteca in 2023 and 2024.
Sweet Azteca, by Sharp Azteca, has won 6 of 8 starts and earned $607,200. Her other stakes wins are the Grade 1 Beholder Mile for fillies and mares at Santa Anita in March 2024 and the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Stakes at Del Mar last August.
Last October, Sweet Azteca finished last of four in the Grade 3 Chillingworth Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs as the 1-10 favorite at Santa Anita in what was designed as a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita a month later.
Sweet Azteca did not start in the Breeders’ Cup and did not race again until her electrifying win on Saturday.
Sweet Azteca was withdrawn from the Desert Stormer Stakes at Santa Anita on June 1 after sustaining a minor cut, Baltas said. Sweet Azteca resumed training a few days later and had three workouts in June in advance of the Great Lady M.
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