Kentucky-bred Sweet Azteca ran her rivals off their feet in the $300,000 Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita on Saturday, March 9. The flashy gray won the race in impressive front-running fashion for owner-breeder Pamela Ziebarth.

Trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden confidently by Flavien Prat, Sweet Azteca took command of the one-mile test at the break. She controlled proceedings throughout. Roused nearing the stretch, she safely held at bay a late charge from Adare Manor to prevail by three-quarters of a length in the end. In recording the initial graded stakes victory of her career, Sweet Azteca covered the distance in 1:36.40.

“It felt like she was used to sprinting, so around the turn I tried to get her to relax. And she did the rest herself,” said Flavien Prat. “At the turn for home, I felt the other horse coming and she picked it up herself.”

Michael McCarthy added, “I thought Flavien was on the fastest horse, and he could take control going into the first turn. Everyone just kind of sat off of her. Flavien never put any pressure on her, and it looked like she got in a nice rhythm. Down the backside, Flavien asked her and she responded. She has come a long way.”

Sweet Azteca is a 4-year-old daughter of Sharp Azteca out of the Grand Slam mare So Sweetitiz. Sweet Azteca is now a winner in three of four lifetime starts and has bankrolled $301,200. In addition to her stakes score, she finished third in the Las Flores S. (G3) at Santa Anita in January.