Sweet Azteca wins third consecutive Rancho Bernardo Stakes at Del Mar

The gray mare Sweet Azteca secured her third consecutive victory in the Grade 3, $100,000 Rancho Bernardo Stakes at Del Mar. Ridden by Juan Hernandez and trained by Richard Baltas, the mare won the 6 1/2-furlong sprint by 4 3/4 lengths.

Sweet Azteca tracked the leader, Thermal, before pulling away in the upper stretch to finish with a time of 1:16.51. Thermal finished second, followed by Antifona in third. The victory marks Sweet Azteca's ninth win in 11 lifetime starts.

As a winner in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series, Sweet Azteca earned a $15,000 credit toward the entry fees for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint scheduled for October 31 at Keeneland.