OffTrackBetting.com - The G3 Adoration Stakes takes place this Sunday, May 6 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A purse of $100,000 will be on the line for fillies and mares three years old and upward that are willing to go 1 1/16 miles on Santa Anita's dirt track.

A field of seven will line up in the Adoration Stakes - race 7 on Santa Anita's Sunday card. Post time is PT 3:30 PM.

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Perfect in two Southern California graded stakes appearances, trainer Phil D'Amato's Fault will take on Bob Baffert's classy Vale Dori, John Martin's hard knocking Mended and four other fillies and mares.

With Geovanni Franco up, Fault burst upon the local scene with a rousing come from behind win in the Grade II Buena Vista Stakes at one mile on turf Feb. 17 and she followed that up with an equally impressive score in the Grade I Santa Margarita Stakes at a mile and one eighth on dirt March 17.

The winner of last year's Adoration, Vale Dori has been idle since running a close second to champion Stellar Wind in the Grade I Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar July 30, while Mended cuts back in distance following a second place finish behind Fault in the Santa Margarita on March 17.

FAULT

Headquartered in the Midwest prior to joining D'Amato's stable early this year, this 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Blame has flourished at Santa Anita, posting career-high Beyer Speed figures of 96 and 101 in her last two starts on grass and dirt. A dazzling 6 ½ length off the pace winner of the Grade I Santa Margarita, she's one for two at a flat mile and with sharp, recent form in her corner, enters the Adoration as the horse to beat.

A Grade III winner on turf in Chicago last August, Fault was claimed for $50,000 10 starts back on May 3 at Churchill Downs. With three out of her four wins coming on turf, she'll be making her 16th career start on Sunday.

Owner: Agave Racing Stable and Little Red Feather Racing | Trainer: Phil D'Amato

VALE DORI

Easily the leading money earner in the field with $1,134,943, she's a seven-time stakes winner who in addition to winning last year's Adoration, also bagged the Grade I Santa Margarita in 2017. Blessed with an abundance of natural speed, Vale Dori will likely have a target in Mended, which could make for a lively pace.

A Group I winner in her native Argentina, she's got a sparkling resume that includes an overall mark of 16-9-5-1.

Owner: Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum | Trainer: Bob Baffert

MENDED

An amazing story, this 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare by Broken Vow was claimed out of a fourth place finish for $12,500 on Jan. 6, 2017 and she then rattled off 10 consecutive wins for her new connections, culminating with a Claiming Crown victory at Gulfstream Park three starts back on Dec. 2, 2017. She suffered a heartbreak defeat two starts back in the Grade II, 1 1/16 miles La Canada Stakes, when she led every step of the way, only to get tagged by a head right on the wire.

First early in the Grade I Santa Margarita March 17, she was no match for Fault when it counted, as she finished second by 6 ½ lengths. Although she'd prefer a mile, the cutback in distance should be to her liking, but the biggest concern is potential pace pressure from Vale Dori.

Owner: Troy and Maritza Onorato | Trainer: John Martin