Florida-bred Moon de French led every step of the way in the $79,475 Adoration Stakes at Del Mar on Sunday, prevailing by 1 ¾ lengths for her first stakes victory.
The 5-year-old mare by Malibu Moon covered a quarter-mile in 23.78 seconds and a half-mile in 48 while building a 1 ½-length lead under Martin Garcia. Moon de French stretched her advantage to 2 ½ lengths at the top of the lane and wasn’t seriously challenged the rest of the way, stopping the clock for the one mile on a fast track in 1:36.38.
Moon de French, bred by Mr. and Mrs. Samuel H. Rogers Jr., paid $14, $7.60 and $4.20 as the fourth choice in the field of seven fillies and mares. Dance to My Tune, who had stalked the pace in third place for much of the race, returned $9.60 and $4.20 after finishing 1 ½ lengths ahead of Florida-bred Silver Swallow, who paid $2.40 to show as the favorite.
Moon de French had run in three stakes races prior to the Adoration, with her best finish coming in the $62,000 Desert Stormer Handicap at Hollywood Park in June, when she finished fourth. She entered the Adoration Stakes off a sixth-place finish in the A Gleam Handicap (G2) at Hollywood in July. She signaled that she was sitting on a big race by handily covering five furlongs in a bullet 59 1/5 seconds at Del Mar on Aug. 30.
Moon de French has won four of her eight starts and earned $154,987 for trainer Bob Baffert and Zayat Stables.
Silver Swallow, a 6-year-old daughter of Alphabet Soup bred by Graham’s Robert L. Dodd, entered the race off a third-place finish behind Sweet August Moon in the Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3) at Del Mar last month. She’s won four of her 25 starts and earned $426,575 for an ownership group that includes trainer Bruce Headley.
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Photo by Benoit
