ARCADIA, Calif. – It hardly seemed fair. Even though she ran the second-fastest dirt mile at Santa Anita in six years, 1:35.09, Richi got beat last month in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile.
It gets easier Saturday for the Group 1 winner from Chile. Richi might be a slam dunk in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes. The field does not include Richi’s undefeated stablemate, Cavalieri, whose 1:34.96 Beholder was the fastest Santa Anita mile since Extra Hope ran 1:34.74 over a sloppy track on Jan. 31, 2019.
Richi ran fast enough in the Beholder to win most any other year, which is a testament to her 4-for-4 stablemate. Cavalieri is targeting the the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes on May 2 at Churchill Downs, where she’ll square off with reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna.
Saturday at Santa Anita, Richi and stretch-out sprinter Splendora give trainer Bob Baffert two shots at a record-extending seventh win in the Santa Maria, a mile and one-sixteenth race for fillies and mares. If Richi runs as well as she ran in the Beholder, Baffert may need only one shot.
Richi and Splendora are listed 6-5 and 3-2, respectively, but their prices will not be that close. Richi, in addition to her fast second in the Beholder, has won multiple Group 1 routes in Brazil. Splendora is fast, but the Santa Maria is the Grade 1-placed sprint filly’s first try at two turns.
The Baffert pair figure to control the pace of the Santa Maria. If they avoid a duel, Richi and Splendora could make it a parade. Four others are entered in the $200,000 race, including upset candidate Sun Of Hill, a Group 1 winner in Brazil returning to dirt, the surface of her best start in the U.S.
Three others in the Santa Maria field are entry-level allowance winners: Fayette Fox, Lisa’s Nonno, and Ultimate Authority. The field is not deep, which is emblematic of the local division. The top two dirt females in California are aiming toward $1 million stakes at Churchill – Cavalieri in the La Troienne and Kopion in the seven-furlong, Grade 1 Derby City Distaff.
Richi, 7 for 13 overall, has won one of four U.S. starts, and the early indication is the Beholder was legitimate. Fifth-place Apha Bella, who finished eight lengths behind Richi, returned to finish second in the Grade 3 Wilshire on turf. Antonio Fresu rides Richi on Saturday.
Splendora, who finished behind Kopion twice in winter Grade 1 and Grade 2 sprints, is stretching out for the first time. Juan Hernandez regains the mount on Splendora, who is expected to either set the pace or be positioned second behind Richi. The stablemates could run one-two all the way.
Sun Of Hill looms as the upset candidate returning to dirt. Trained by Phil D’Amato, the late runner earned her top Beyer Speed Figure in her only U.S. start on dirt since arriving from Brazil. Umberto Rispoli rides Sun Of Hill, who is listed at 8-1.
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