Om N Joy surged from a distant last with jockey Kent Desormeaux to score a career-best victory in the Grade II Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday, regaining her mid-2025 form while Seismic Beauty couldn’t.
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Four-year-old Om N Joy, a California-bred filly trained by Aggie Ordonez, won for the first time in five starts since a five-race win streak ended last summer. She paid $19.20.
“She chose today to show up,“ Ordonez said. “It was a beautiful day to do it.“
The Bob Baffert-trained 5-year-old mare Seismic Beauty, off at 2-5 in the field of four, lost steam in the stretch of the 1-1/8-mile race and finished third behind Simply Joking. It was Seismic Beauty’s first start since she came in 11th as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff last November.
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Baffert had a good day otherwise Saturday. At Churchill Downs in Kentucky, Splendora ($4.78) and rider Flavien Prat won the Grade II Shawnee Stakes and Cornucopian ($3.56) and Prat won the Grade III Aristides.
Sunday at Santa Anita, Stronghold (Antonio Fresu riding) goes into the Grade III Triple Bend Stakes as an even-money on the morning line to break a six-race stakes-level losing streak since his 2024 Santa Anita Derby victory. He faces Chilean Grade I winner The Goat (Emisael Jaramillo), 9-5 on the line, and three others.
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