Santa Anita Park Picks | Santa Margarita Stakes 2024

Adare Manor and Coffee in Bed, both coming off graded stakes victories, will square-off for the second time in Sunday’s GII, $200,000 Santa Margarita Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on the Santa Anita Park dirt.

In addition to the Santa Margarita, Sunday’s 10-race card also includes the GIII Daytona for older horses sprinting on the hillside turf course. First post time is 1 p.m. Admission gates open at 11 a.m.

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Adare Manor, trained by Bob Baffert, earned her second Grade I victory most recently when winning the Apple Blossom Handicap April 13 at Oaklawn Park. As for Coffee in Bed, she earned her first stakes win of any kind when prevailing in the GII Santa Maria at 1 1/16 miles April 21 at Santa Anita for trainer Richard Mandella.

A 5-year-old Uncle Mo mare, Adare Manor is 16: 8-5-0 with $1,736,600 in earnings for owner Michael Lund Pedersen. Prior to the Apple Blossom, she finished 9 ¼ lengths ahead of Coffee in Bed when second in the GI Beholder Mile behind winner Sweet Azteca March 9 at Santa Anita.

Last year, Adare Manor won the GI Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar, and both the GII Santa Maria and GII Zenyatta at Santa Anita. She will have regular rider Juan Hernandez in the irons.

Coffee in Bed won the Santa Maria by a neck over South American import Super Shine, who also returns in the Santa Margarita. In two prior starts this year, Adare Manor was sixth in the Beholder Mile and second to Desert Dawn in the GIII La Canada going 1 1/16 miles Jan. 20 at Santa Anita.

A 4-year-old Curlin filly, Coffee in Bed has a record of 9: 3-2-1 with $253,860 in earnings for owner Spendthrift Farm. She will be ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, who was also aboard for her three prior starts this year.

It was a promising U.S. debut for Super Shine in the Santa Maria. In her first start in nearly a year, she dueled on the lead then battled gamely through the stretch to just miss in a photo finish.

Trained by Phil D’Amato, Super Shine was a multiple group stakes winner in her native Argentina. The 5-year-old Super Saver mare, who is owned by R Unicorn Stable, has an overall record of 11: 4-5-1 with $144,531 in earnings. Jockey Frankie Dettori, who was aboard in the Santa Maria, retains the mount on Super Shine.