Trainer Aggie Ordonez reported "everything's great" with Vodka Vodka the morning after earning his first stakes win in the Unusual Heat Turf Classic for California-breds at Santa Anita Park Jan. 17.
"He ate all his dinner last night, his legs are cold and tight this morning," she added.
Vodka Vodka won the 1 1/8-miles Turf Classic by a half-length under Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux. In his only previous stakes try, which came on Opening Day of the Classic Meet Dec. 28, Vodka Vodka finished fourth on dirt in the Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes (G2).
Bred by co-owners Jerry Baker and Connie Baker, Vodka Vodka is a 5-year-old gelding by Stay Thirsty out of the Hard Spun mare Margie's Minute. His Om 4-year-old half sister, Om N Joy, provided Ordonez last year with her first graded stakes win in the Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) at Del Mar. The two siblings combined helped Ordonez produce a career-best year in 2025 with $645,233 in earnings, more than double her previous high. Ordonez currently has nine horses in her stable.
"It's unbelievable to have the two best horses of my career running at the same time. In the barn, healthy and sound at the beginning of a new year," Ordonez said. "I look back on last year and I couldn't have dreamed to put something like that together. I almost didn't want the year to change. I didn't want to flip the calendar. I thought we can't possibly keep that going or do it again. Then right off the bat Dark Omen comes up with a giant race to break his maiden here and now Vodka Vodka becomes a stakes winner. It's more than I could dream."
Dark Omen, a 3-year-old gelding by Om, was a debut winner Jan. 10 at Santa Anita for Ordonez and owners-breeders Larry and Marianne Williams.
Next up for Vodka Vodka and Om N Joy could be grade 1s March 7 at Santa Anita. Ordonez is eyeing the 1 1/4-mile Santa Anita Handicap (G1) for Vodka Vodka, while Om N Joy is a candidate for the Beholder Mile (G1) on the same day.
"I'm a dreamer. I love to swing big," Ordonez said. "(Vodka Vodka) ran a great race. I think his best race is actually dirt, I don't think it's grass."
Om N Joy is back galloping at Santa Anita after spending "six to eight weeks" on the farm. She closed out the 2025 campaign Oct. 18 with a fourth-place finish in the Raven Run Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.
"She looks great," Ordonez. "She looks like a 4-year-old now. She had lost some weight towards the end of last year and I knew she needed some time after to recover after a tough season.
"She's going to be ready in March. I'd like to try her in the Beholder. I know people say 'wow' when I say the Beholder, but she's been 'wowing' me for a while."
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
