When Richi squared off against stablemate Cavalieri in the March 8 B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park, trainer Bob Baffert advised jockey Antonio Fresu that the only way they could beat Cavalieri was to steal the race.
Richi ran gamely, turning back Cavalieri's challenges until the very end, only grudgingly giving up the lead late, and running second by three-quarters of a length. That courage should work well for Richi in the April 19 Santa Maria Stakes (G2), when she will face another Baffert stablemate—Splendora.
"She's fast," Baffert said of Richi after the Beholder. "In South America, she won all her races on the lead. I could tell in the paddock she was going to run big."
Before Baffert got her, Richi started nine times in her native Chile, winning six. Those included two group 1 races (one by 10 lengths) and two group 3 races. In four starts at Santa Anita for owners Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Stud Vendaval, Richi, now a 5-year-old, has never finished worse than third and captured the six-furlong Las Flores Stakes (G3) Jan. 4.
Fresu returns on Richi in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Maria, and they drew the rail. Next to them in post 2 will be Splendora, to be ridden by Juan Hernandez, who piloted Cavalieri in the Beholder.
By Talla Racing's Splendora has much less racing experience than Richi, the 4-year-old having started only five times. The Audible filly has yet to win a stakes, though she finished second to Kopion in the Dec. 26 La Brea Stakes (G1) in her stakes debut. Since then, Splendora ran fourth of four behind Kopion, Hope Road, and Richi in the Feb. 1 Santa Monica Stakes (G2). Both of those stakes were at seven furlongs, the longest distance Splendora has yet to attempt.
Richi isn't the only South American in the Santa Maria. Trainer Phil D'Amato has entered Brazilian-bred Sun Of Hill, who gets jockey Umberto Rispoli from post 3. Also a group 1 winner in South America, 5-year-old Sun Of Hill has not won in the U.S. in five starts. She has run fourth in three California stakes, including the one-mile Bayakoa Stakes (G3) Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
Fayette Fox (Reylu Gutierrez, post 4) finished second in the 2023 Arizona Oaks at Turf Paradise for trainer Vladimir Cerin. She is coming off a 1 3/4-length victory against Santa Anita allowance company at 6 1/2 furlongs March 14.
Ultimate Authority (Kazushi Kimura, post 5) has tried stakes twice in seven starts for trainer Tim Yakteen. She ran fourth in the 2024 Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) and most recently finished sixth of six in the Beholder.
Mark Glatt trains Lisa's Nonno (Abel Lezcano, post 6), who is making her stakes debut. The 5-year-old won a one-mile allowance optional claimer by a head Feb. 28 in her most recent start.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, April 19, 2025, Race 7Entries: Santa Maria S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Richi (CHI) Antonio Fresu 120 Bob Baffert 6/5 2 2Splendora (MD) Juan J. Hernandez 120 Bob Baffert 3/2 3 3Sun Of Hill (BRZ) Umberto Rispoli 120 Philip D'Amato 8/1 4 4Fayette Fox (KY) Reylu Gutierrez 120 Vladimir Cerin 10/1 5 5Ultimate Authority (KY) Kazushi Kimura 120 Tim Yakteen 6/1 6 6Lisa's Nonno (KY) Abel Lezcano 120 Mark Glatt 12/1
