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.
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.
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.
