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Sweet Azteca’s Los Alamitos 3-peat puts Breeders’ Cup in sight

July 5, 2026

CYPRESS — For Sweet Azteca, now comes the hard part.

The 5-year-old mare became the first three-time winner of the Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos on Saturday, dominating the Grade II, $200,000 sprint with jockey Armando Ayuso as the odds-on favorite despite appearing less than 100% fit for her first start of 2026.

Sweet Azteca’s 1:15.67 clocking for 6-1/2 furlongs wasn’t close to the track records she set in the Great Lady M. by going 1:14.33 in 2024 and 1:14.32 in 2025. But she didn’t have to be that sharp to win, geared down by 1-1/4 lengths over Magnificat and two lengths over Nooni. The Grade Slam Smile was the disappointment in the race, finishing fifth, her first time worse than third in 22 career starts.

The victory kept Sweet Azteca on the list of contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, the 7-furlong race to be run for a $1 million purse at Keeneland on Oct. 31.

But getting on that list has been easy for her.

Actually getting to the Breeders’ Cup starting gate has proved difficult.

Two years ago, then-trainer Michael McCarthy declined to enter her in the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar following a poor prep race at Santa Anita. Last year, now-trainer Richard Baltas saw her made the morning-line favorite for the Breeders’ Cup race only to be scratched by a regulatory veterinarian because of a foot issue.

“It was very disappointing last year,” Baltas said. “She was battling (the foot problem). I thought she was good enough to run, but the vets didn’t, and that was OK. … They were trying to do the right thing.”

Baltas believes Sweet Azteca – whose 10 career starts include eight victories, topped by the Grade I Beholder Mile at Santa Anita in 2024 – merits the same respect in the buildup to the Breeders’ Cup that she had the past two years. Potential competition includes 2025 Filly & Mare Sprint winner Splendora

“I would give her that kind of respect,” the trainer said in the Los Alamitos winner’s circle. “She’s a fresher horse this year. I think she’s a sounder horse too. A lot of horses need time off. She’s one of them.”

Baltas said the path to the Breeders’ Cup probably will involve only one race, the Grade III, 6-1/2-furlong Rancho Bernardo Stakes for fillies and mares at Del Mar on Aug. 16. Sweet Azteca romped in that race in 2024.

Saturday’s seven-horse race was hers practically from start to finish, as expected by the bettors who collected $3.40 for $2.Upsets earlier in the card, highlighted by Oobubbakakayo ($84), produced a second straight carryover in the Los Alamitos pick-six. Sunday’s pick-six will begin with $58,051 in the pool.

Los Al runs 11 races starting at 1 p.m. on Sunday, the last afternoon card in California until Del Mar opens its summer season on Friday, July 17.

The jockey and trainer standings are tight going into closing day. Ayuso and Edgar Payeras each rode one winner Saturday to give them eight at the meet, one more than Kazushi Kimura; Ayuso and Kimura hold the stronger hands Sunday. Peter Miller saddled one winner Saturday and has five at the meet, catching Bob Baffert for the lead, while Jesus Uranga and Genaro Vallejo won one apiece to be one behind; Baffert is idle Sunday.

Orange County Register

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Sweet Azteca’s Los Alamitos 3-peat puts Breeders’ Cup in sight

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