Richi Relishes California With Santa Maria Score

Richi (CHI) is enjoying Southern California. The Chilean-bred mare has been "getting stronger and stronger" as she has acclimated according to trainer Bob Baffert. Richi proved that emphatically April 19 with an easy win in the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park. After a hard-fought second to fellow Baffert trainee Cavalieri in the March 8 B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile Stakes (G1), Richi faced four in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Maria, including Baffert-trained Splendora. Richi went off as the 3-5 favorite. When the gate opened, Richi broke on top to take the lead. Jockey Antonio Fresu didn't push her, allowing her to stay just out of reach of the rest of the field as she completed the first quarter-mile in :22.78 and the half in :46.61. At first Fresu was content with just a half-length margin. But as they approached the second turn, he let out a notch and Richi responded readily. By the top of the lane, it was obvious that Richi was completely in control. She increased her lead through the stretch, ultimately defeating Splendora by 4 1/2 lengths to stop the clock in 1:42.60, with Ultimate Authority third. "I kept things simple," Fresu said. "I took the lead, tried to do my thing, and she won very easily. You could see she wasn't even tired. I never asked her. She was so much the best." Santa Maria Thrives on South American Cooking Following the race, Richi was fresh enough that she didn't want to stand still for the winner's photo. Eventually, she posed long enough for posterity, something she could do several more times in her career. "She's improving—she's been here long enough now that she's starting to relax," Baffert said. "Back in South America she wore these big huge blinkers. But she's really changed a lot. She's just getting better and better. Those South American mares are tough if you get a good one." In her native Chile, Richi won six of nine races, including the 2023 Alberto Solari Magnasco (G1) by 10 lengths. Her five United States starts have netted her the Las Flores Stakes (G3) and Santa Maria, two seconds, and one third, all in stakes. John Sikura bought a half-interest in Richi in the name of Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings before she came to the U.S. and owns the 5-year-old mare in partnership with Pedro Hurtado's Stud Vendaval. With Constanza Burr, Hurtado owns and operates Haras Paso Nevado, the Chilean farm that bred Richi. Richi is out of the Haras Paso Nevado homebred mare Rich Baby (CHI), a daughter of Scat Daddy. Scat Daddy shuttled to Chile from 2009-11, standing at Haras Paso Nevado. The farm has done well standing shuttle stallions from the U.S. Its current shuttle roster includes Tiz the Law, following the likes of Lookin At Lucky and Verrazano. Richi, Little Vic, Captain Cook, Tejano Twist, Accretive, Simply Joking, and Letta's Legacy are 2025 stakes winners sired by Practical Joke, who also shuttled a couple of years in Chile. A son of perennial leading sire Into Mischief and an earner of $1,795,800, Practical Joke stands for a 2025 stud fee of $100,000 at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky.