The hugs in the winner's circle after Private Mission won the June 18 Santa Maria Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita were especially warm because trainer Sean McCarthy and his wife, Kim, reconnected with Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye and his wife, Juanita.
The Delahoussayes, who now live in Louisiana, were visiting California, and Eddie presented the Santa Maria trophy.
"I've known Eddie since I got down here," said McCarthy. "I never could get him on a good horse. He rode a few for me."
Quipped Delahoussaye: "Then when he had a good one, I was retired."
Leading rider Juan Hernandez got to ride this good one, Private Mission, previously trained by Bob Baffert, who is currently serving a suspension. McCarthy said a race was passed in New York to wait for the 1 1/16-mile, $205,500 Santa Maria, and bettors made Private Mission the 7-5 favorite in the field of six.
When the gate opened, Hernandez and Private Mission came away well and tracked pacesetter Lady Mystify.
"She broke perfect," said McCarthy. "She never missed a step leaving there and left there as good as you could. When I saw that, you had to anticipate that Juan would probably not have any trouble getting to where he needed to be."
Lady Mystify set "fair fractions," said McCarthy, running a quarter-mile in :23.23 and a half-mile in :46.96.
"We were sitting in the perfect spot," said McCarthy. "Then it was just a matter of if we were good enough or not."
Private Mission was definitely good enough. She ranged up outside of Lady Mystify on the second turn to take the lead, which she held onto throughout the stretch. Blue Stripe, winner of the April 30 Santa Margarita Stakes (G2) and a half sister to 2019 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) winner Blue Prize, closed ground, as did Varda, another former Baffert trainee now with McCarthy.
"She broke really sharp, and as soon as she saw Lady Mystify in front of me, she relaxed," said Hernandez. "She was just waiting for me to ask her to go."
Private Mission defeated Blue Stripe and jockey Tyler Baze by three-quarters of a length in 1:43.46. Varda, ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, finished another half-length back in third.
"It was nice to see Varda make a good move at the five-sixteenths pole, and it looked like Drayden might be loaded there and then those two might kick on down the lane," said McCarthy. "But she ran a gallant race to be third."
Charlie and Susan Chu's Baoma Corp. own Private Mission and Varda. In the Baoma name, they purchased Private Mission for $750,000 in 2019 from the Lane's End consignment at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected yearling sale in New York, and Varda for $700,000 at the 2020 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in Training from the Niall Brennan consignment.
Under Baffert's tutelage, Private Mission won the 2021 Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) at Del Mar and Zenyatta Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita. Unplaced in the Breeders' Cup Distaff and La Brea Stakes (G1), she ran second in the six-furlong Las Flores Stakes (G3) March 13 in her only start this year prior to the Santa Maria.
Mt. Brilliant Broodmares I bred Private Mission in Kentucky. The 4-year-old filly is by Into Mischief out of the stakes-winning Unbridled mare Private Gift. Private Mission is a half sister to stakes winner Secret Someone, stakes-placed Profetiza, and Gift List, the dam of 2019 Alabama Stakes (G1) winner Dunbar Road.
