Trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Juan Hernandez make an excellent team, especially in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1). For the third consecutive year, they have collaborated to win the Del Mar race, the first two times with Adare Manor and Aug. 2 with Seismic Beauty.
Coming from the popular ownership of MyRacehorse in partnership with Peter Leidel, Seismic Beauty has her own triple going. For the third consecutive race, she has not only finished first, she has never let another horse get ahead of her after the start.
That devastating front-running style is deceptive, according to Baffert.
"She makes it look like it's easy, but she's going really fast," he said.
Following a 10-length victory in an April 18 allowance optional claimer and a five-length win in the May 25 Santa Margarita Stakes (G2), both at Santa Anita Park, Seismic Beauty went off as the 11-10 favorite in the 1 1/16-mile Hirsch.
Drawing the rail, Seismic Beauty broke sharply and went right to the front for Hernandez.
"I think she won the race out of the gate today," Hernandez said. "She broke really, really sharp. She loves to be on the lead. She was really comfortable. She was just galloping; she was in a really good rhythm. ... This filly she is getting better every race."
While Royal Spa, a Churchill Downs graded stakes winner, kept close to Seismic Beauty's fractions of :22.85 and :46.63, ultimately she couldn't keep pace. It was up to Kopion, a three-time graded winner since late last year for trainer Richard Mandella, to try to make a race of it. Last of six early, Kopion moved up in the second turn, closed ground in the stretch while four wide, but couldn't catch the Baffert filly.
Seismic Beauty defeated Kopion by 1 1/2 lengths, stopping the timer in 1:42.33. Kopion was 3 1/2 lengths ahead of third-place Richi, one of two others trained by Baffert. Royal Spa finished fourth, followed by Nothing Like You and Little Hidden Port.
The Hirsch is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In race that provides automatic paid entry into the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) this fall at Del Mar. It is named for the late Clement L. Hirsch, a founder of both the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and Oak Tree Racing Association. The latter presented the race as part of Del Mar's day of tribute to Oak Tree, which for decades has raised and distributed money for many worthy equine causes.
Besides Seismic Beauty and Richi, Baffert also saddled Nothing Like You. Seismic Beauty and Richi had taken two of the major stakes for distaffers on the dirt at this year's Santa Anita meeting—the Santa Margarita for Seismic Beauty and the Santa Maria Stakes (G2) for Richi. This was the first time any of the three had faced each other. Nothing Like You, winner of the 2024 Santa Anita Oaks (G2), was making her 2025 debut.
This was Baffert's fourth win in the Hirsch. He also took the race in 2020 with Fighting Mad.
Prior to her three recent wins, Seismic Beauty had one win, two seconds, and a third. She broke her maiden at Del Mar by five lengths a year ago.
"She's a big filly, and she just had to grow into herself," Baffert said. "Those big fillies like that, you've got to wait on them a little bit. She's still maturing, and I think she's still going to improve off of that. Today Juan said she just broke running. She worked pretty fast the other day and she was pretty sharp."
Seismic Beauty had worked seven furlongs in 1:24 1/5 at Del Mar July 25.
Leidel and MyRacehorse purchased Seismic Beauty from consignor Glen Hill Farm for $550,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Glen Hill pinhooked the filly from the Fasig-Tipton's The November Sale in 2021, buying her as a weanling for $400,000 from Scott Mallory.
Seismic Beauty was bred by 2500 Determined Stud in Maryland from the stakes-placed Medaglia d'Oro mare Knarsdale. Determined Stud bought Knarsdale for $430,000 carrying Seismic Beauty at the 2020 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Seismic Beauty is the first foal for the mare, a half sister to stakes-placed American Lincoln.
Seismic Beauty is one of seven 2025 black-type winners by Uncle Mo, who died last December at age 16 after an injury to his left foreleg. The others include Bishops Bay, winner of the Salvator Mile Stakes (G3), Westchester Stakes (G3), and American Pharoah Overnight Stakes. Uncle Mo's earlier stakes winners include champion Nyquist , currently among the top 10 sires nationally. Champion 2-year-old male in 2010 and winner of that year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), Uncle Mo stood at Coolmore's Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky., prior to his death.
