2023 Zenyatta Stakes Preview | Adare Manor Goes For 5th Straight Win As Prep For Distaff

Streaking Adare Manor seeks her fifth consecutive win as she heads a field of four fillies and mares three and up going a mile and one sixteenth in Sunday’s Grade II, $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita.

Named in honor of North America’s 2010 Horse of the Year and four-time Eclipse Award winner, the Zenyatta is a key prep to the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita and is part of the Breeders’ Cup “Dirt Dozen.”

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With her last three victories coming in graded the stakes, the most recent a one-length score going a mile and one sixteenth in the Grade I Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar Aug. 5, Adare Manor should be tough to deny on the front end with Juan Hernandez back aboard for Bob Baffert.

Owned by Michael Lund Petersen, Adare Manor has five wins and three seconds here at Santa Anita and has been heavily favored in her last five starts.

A 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo out of the Giant Gizmo mare Brooklynsway, she is 12-6-4-0 overall with earnings of $861,600.

Although winless in nine starts since taking the Grade II Santa Anita Oaks on April 9, 2022, Arizona-bred Desert Dawn is plenty strong at the bank, earning $155,375 from four starts this year and amassing career earnings of $776,525 from an overall mark 15-2-3-5.

Most recently second, beaten one length at 5-1 by Adare Manor in the Hirsch at Del Mar, Desert Dawn would be well-suited by a fast pace with regular rider Umberto Rispoli back aboard.

Trained by Phil D’Amato, Desert Dawn, a 4-year-old daughter of Cupid out of the Honour and Glory mare Ashely’s Glory, is owned by her Arizona breeder, H and E Ranch, Inc.