Tenma 5-for-6 with a win in the Santa Anita Oaks (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif. — Tenma continued her dominance in California’s 3-year-old filly division when earning her fourth graded stakes win in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita Oaks going 1 1/16 miles Saturday at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Tenma (1-5) prevailed by 2 1/4 lengths over stablemate Silent Law (9-1) to lead a Bob Baffert-trained exacta. Vodka With a Twist (5-1), who was making her first start since finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies last November, was another six lengths back in third. She was followed by Madame Secretary (7-1) with No Bad Beats (15-1) completing the order of finish.
After breaking alertly, Hernandez settled Tenma just behind dueling leaders No Bad Beats and Silent Law. While No Bad Beats would start to fade entering the second turn, Silent Law would soon be faced with a new challenge from Vodka With a Twist. Tenma was still going comfortably on their outside. Silent Law would maintain her lead over Vodka With a Twist into the stretch, but rolling to her outside came Tenma, who surged to a half-length lead at the furlong marker and widened her advantage to the wire.
“I was having a beautiful trip, and I asked her to run at the three eighths pole because she was getting a little lazy on me,” Hernandez said. “But that’s the way she is, she takes a couple strides to get going. Around the (second) turn, when I was ready to start making my move and pass Silent Law, she was really brave.”
Owned by Baoma Corp., Tenma won in a time of 1:46.15 following fractions of 22.85, 46.38 1:11.03 and 1:38.96.
#4 TENMA ($2.60) earns 75 Kentucky Oaks points with a victory over stablemate Silent Law in the $200,000 Santa Anita Oaks (G2) at @SantaAnitaPark. The three-year-old filly by @DarleyAmerica's Nyquist is now 5-for-6. @JJHernandezS19 was aboard for Bob Baffert. pic.twitter.com/mC37vhZpgo
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) April 5, 2025
“We are trying to get her to the Kentucky Oaks and she had been progressing, getting better and better,” Baffert said. “I liked the way she settled today. There was a lot of speed in the race and she is becoming more professional as we go. She has come a long way and she is great to be around. She is a lovely filly. It’s pretty exciting to run one-two in a stake like this.”
Tenma improved to 6: 5-0-1 with $549,000 in earnings. She previously won the GIII Las Virgenes at Santa Anita in February, the GII Starlet at Los Alamitos in December and GI Del Mar Debutante in September. Her only loss came in last October’s GII Oak Leaf when making her first start around two turns.
“She just didn’t run in the Oak Leaf. It was a dud,” Baffert said. “She struggled that day, just not mentally ready. I backed off her after that, freshened her, and she’s been ready to go.”
Tenma paid $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10. Silent Law, ridden by Martin Garcia, returned $5.20 and $2.80. Vodka With a Twist, with Antonio Fresu aboard for trainer Phil D’Amato, paid $2.10.
