Richi leads all the way in the Santa Maria under Antonio Fresu (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif. — Odds-on favorite Richi broke in front and was never headed on her way to a dominant 4 ½-length win over stablemate Splendora in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes for older fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Antonio Fresu for trainer Bob Baffert, Richi (3-5) set fractions of 22.78, 46.61 and 1:10.62 for six furlongs while being tracked by both longshot Fayette Fox (21-1) and Splendora (8-5). Fayette Fox began to weaken near the quarter pole. Splendora, who was making her first start around two turns, continued to chase her leading stablemate but it would prove to no avail. Richi widened her lead entering the stretch without being asked and was never threatened to earn her second graded stakes win in the U.S.
“Looking at the form, I didn’t think she could be beat today,” Fresu said. “I kept things simple. I took the lead, tried to do my thing, and she won very easily. You could see she wasn’t even tired. She was so much the best.”
Richi, who was a Group I winner in her native Chile, won in a time of 1:42.60 to lead the Baffert-trained exacta. Third-place finisher Ultimate Authority (9-1) was another 12 lengths back of runner-up Splendora.
Richi earned her first domestic stakes win in January when taking the GIII Las Flores going six furlongs at Santa Anita. Most recently, with Fresu riding for the first time, she finished a gallant second to star filly Cavalieri in last month’s GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile after setting the pace.
“I just told (Fresu) to play the break and get her in a nice smooth rhythm,” Baffert said. “Both of my horses were in a good spot. It was the first time going two turns for my other filly and I think she got a lot out of it. Richi, she is like been there done that.”
A 5-year-old mare by Practical Joke, Richi is owned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings and Stud Vendaval Inc. She improved her overall record, which includes eight starts in Chile, to 14: 8-4-1 with $382,424 in earnings.
“She is just getting better,” Baffert said. “I really think that she is getting acclimated now to the United States. It takes them about a year to get them acclimated to the states. But she just gets stronger and stronger and has developed into a really nice filly.”
Richi paid $3.20, $2.10 and $2.10. Splendora, ridden by Juan Hernandez, returned $2.20 and $2.10. Ultimate Authority, ridden by Kazushi Kimura for trainer Tim Yakteen, paid $2.20.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Santa Anita with first post at 12 p.m. PT for a 10-race card. Admission gates open at 10 a.m.
