Sweet Azteca too fast for Kopion in Great Lady M.

Sweet Azteca showed no signs of rust returning from a nine-month layoff in Saturday's $200,000 Great Lady M. (G2) at Los Alamitos. Not only did she outrun 1-5 favorite Kopion all the way, but she narrowly eclipsed her own track mark for 6 1/2 furlongs, which she set winning the Great Lady M. 12 months ago.

Given the competition she was up against, specifically Kopion, who was undefeated around one turn heading into the Great Lady M., this performance by Sweet Azteca was superior to her two-length win last year as the 7-10 choice.

"She's just powerful," said trainer Richard Baltas, whose stable the five-year-old mare joined some five months ago after previously residing in the Michael McCarthy barn.

Under Juan Hernandez, Sweet Azteca broke on top and set blistering fractions of :21.95 and :43.87 while being chased by Kopion. More significantly, the gray floated the favorite extremely wide entering the stretch, but Kopion ultimately could not match strides with Sweet Azteca down the long straight.

Sweet Azteca finished 1 1/2 lengths up, covering the fast-track dash in 1:14.32, .01 seconds faster than her 2024 time. She returned $9 as the second choice in a field of six. Kopion, a Grade 1 winner in two of her prior three starts, finished two lengths ahead of 49-1 chance Chismosa.

Owned and bred by Pamela Ziebarth, Sweet Azteca is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Sharp Azteca. In addition to her two wins in the Great Lady M., Sweet Azteca also scored victories in the Beholder Mile (G1) and Rancho Bernardo (G3) last term. She has now won six of eight lifetime starts.

Baltas said Sweet Azteca would summer at Del Mar, though he was unsure whether a title defense in the Rancho Bernardo would be in the cards. Her ultimate goal is the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Del Mar in November.