$900K Curlin Filly Trounces Rivals in Santa Anita Debut

This column highlights the performances of 2- and 3-year-old maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are graded/group winners, or have dams that are graded/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners, in particular, who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners.

Santa Anita Park

Two months after bringing $900,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sale Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training. Himika unleashed a commanding debut performance June 12 in a five-furlong Santa Anita Park maiden special weight. 

Favored at 1-2 in her first outing, the precocious filly tapped into that same speed that saw her zip an eighth-mile in :9 4/5 at the OBS under tack show. Closely flanking the pacesetter from the inside, she angled out around the turn and collared that rival down the lane. Under little urging from jockey Juan Hernandez, Himika coasted under the wire six lengths in front of her closest pursuer. 

Himika completed the five furlongs in :57.86 while under wraps.  

The daughter of Curlin  became the latest promising filly to race under the colors of Charles and Susan Chu's Baoma for trainer Bob Baffert. The Chus are no strangers to nice fillies, having campaigned grade 1 winning females Bast, Eda, Varda, and more recently, 2024 Del Mar Debutante (G1) heroine and Kentucky Oaks (G1) fourth-place finisher Tenma. All four of those talented fillies, all Baffert alumni, raced to victory in top-level stakes on the Southern California circuit.

Himika is the first foal out of Klaravich Stable's stakes-placed Into Mischief  mare Motivated Seller. Consigned by Nick De Meric for Klaravich at the OBS Sale, Himika was the second-highest-priced filly to go through the ring.