With tributes continuing to pour in for the late D. Wayne Lukas, Los Alamitos Race Course will present the Great Lady M Stakes (G2) July 5. The race honors the late multiple stakes-winning Lukas trainee who produced 1986 Horse of the Year Lady's Secret, also trained by Lukas during the Southern California years of his storied Hall of Fame career.
Lukas trained Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds at Los Alamitos, including Great Lady M. The daughter of Icecapade won stakes throughout Southern California, two at Los Alamitos: the 1978 Mission Viejo Stakes and 1979 Orange Coast Handicap.
Thus, it is fitting that this year's renewal of the 6 1/2-furlong Great Lady M features the first-ever meeting between two supremely talented distaff sprinters: Sweet Azteca and Kopion.
Sweet Azteca, who won the 2024 Great Lady M by five lengths, broke her maiden at Churchill Downs in 2023 but was a dynamo at California tracks in 2024 for trainer Michael McCarthy. In addition to her Great Lady M, she scored by 12 lengths in an allowance optional claiming race, by seven lengths in the Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3), and defeated Adare Manor in the Beholder Mile Stakes (G1).
Away from the races since finishing fourth and last in the Oct. 5 Chillingworth Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park, 5-year-old Sweet Azteca is now trained by Richard Baltas for owner/breeder Pamela Ziebarth. Juan Hernandez, who won on Sweet Azteca in last year's Great Lady M., will be back from post 2.
Richard Mandella trains Spendthrift Farm's Kopion, a 4-year-old who has never lost around one turn. Like Sweet Azteca, Kopion frequently wins by large margins. In 2024, she took the Santa Ynez Stakes (G3) by 5 3/4 lengths and the La Brea Stakes (G1) by 2 3/4 lengths. Her only two losses came last year in the one-mile Las Virgenes Stakes (G3) and 1 1/16-mile Santa Anita Oaks (G2). Kopion is perfect in 2025, with a 4 1/2-length triumph in the Santa Monica Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita and a three-length win in the Derby City Distaff Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Kazushi Kimura piloted Kopion in the La Brea and Derby City Distaff. He returns from post 6.
It's hard to see past these two talents, but four others will try to topple them. Super Shine, a 6-year-old trained by Phil D'Amato, and Chismosa, a 5-year-old conditioned by Rafael DeLeon, are coming off a one-two finish in the June 1 Desert Stormer Stakes at Santa Anita. Super Shine ran third in last year's Great Lady M, while Chismosa finished seventh. Tiago Pereira is set to ride Super Shine from the rail, and Kyle Frey will be up on Chismosa, who drew post 3.
D'Amato also trains 4-year-old One Magic Philly and has named Antonio Fresu to ride from post 5. One Magic Philly won last year's Chillingworth. She most recently ran third in the May 17 Skipat Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.
Hector Berrios will ride 4-year-old Barbara T for McCarthy from post 4. Barbara T is making her stakes debut. In three starts—one at 2, one at 3, and one at 4—she has won twice and finished second once. Barbara T broke her maiden by 11 3/4 lengths at Keeneland last year.
LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, Saturday, July 5, 2025, Race 8Entries: Great Lady M S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Super Shine (ARG) Tiago Josue Pereira 124 Philip D'Amato 12/1 2 2Sweet Azteca (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 124 Richard Baltas 9/5 3 3Chismosa (CA) Kyle Frey 124 Rafael DeLeon 15/1 4 4Barbara T (KY) Hector Isaac Berrios 121 Michael W. McCarthy 20/1 5 5One Magic Philly (KY) Antonio Fresu 124 Philip D'Amato 5/1 6 6Kopion (KY) Kazushi Kimura 124 Richard E. Mandella 4/5
