Splendora roars and romps. (Jenny Doyle/Past The Wire)
Classic Saturday: PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1)
Breeders’ Cup Release
DEL MAR, Calif. – By Talla Racing’s Splendora ($7.80) roared past her favored stablemate Hope Road at the top of the stretch and drew off for a 4 ¾-length victory over Vahva to win the 19th running of the $1 million PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) to kick off nine World Championships races Saturday afternoon at Del Mar.
Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Flavien Prat, Splendora completed 7 furlongs on the fast main track in 1:21.79. It is the 20th victory in the World Championships for Baffert and second in this race and it is the eighth Breeders’ Cup win for Prat.
Haulin Ice led a three-horse scramble for the lead through an opening quarter-mile of :22.12 before Hope Road took over exiting the backstretch. Hope Road held the advantage around the turn, but Prat was launching a wide bid on Splendora that drew them on even terms at the head of the lane.
Hope Road offered no resistance as Splendora rocketed past to secure her first graded-stakes victory.
The victory was worth $520,000 and increased her earnings to $860,800 with a record of 10-5-4-0. Splendora is a 4-year-old Maryland-bred daughter of Audible out of the Frost Giant mare Miss Freeze.
Quotes:
Winning and third-place trainer Bob Baffert (Splendora and Hope Road) – “She has been working really well and she loves this track. I told (Flavien) Prat, when she ran here this summer, going six furlongs, she ran an incredible race and just sat off the pace. When he swooped up to the outside (today) and she took off, it was over. Hope Road, she ran great. I thought she would be off the pace a little bit. These races, they are so tough to win.”
Winning jockey Flavien Prat (Splendora) – “I honestly was a bit worried that we might have a lack of speed because of all the scratches, but the pace was fair, and I was able to travel good
I really felt like I was traveling well all the way around and as soon as I was able to go around everybody, she just gives me a good run.”
Second-place trainer Cherie DeVaux (Vahva) – “She ran great. Settled behind the speed, let them run away from her, and came with a really nice run. Really proud. The winner just had the jump on her, but she ran a huge race as well.”
Are you sentimental about this being her last start: “Yes. She’s been really good. When you win a lot of turf races, it’s only natural to peg you into that. But she’s really the first real dirt horse that has been a marquee for me as a trainer.”
Second-place jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Vahva) – “Beautiful trip. The winner got the jump on me, but she ran her race. I give her a chance. Last year she didn’t look that good here. I think I was trying to be too close with her, but today I sat on her, and she made her run, so I’m happy with her.”
Third-place jockey Jose Ortiz (Hope Road) – “It was great. I put her into a good spot early on. I was very happy the first-quarter, then the second quarter I knew there was a little bit of pressure from the outside. If I could change that, I would, but you know, the winner looked pretty good today.”
