With her most likely competition coming from her stablemate Splendora, MyRacehorse and Peter Leidel's Seismic Beauty went to the front and never looked back, rolling home an easy winner in Sunday's GII Santa Margarita Stakes.
Breaking from the high draw, Seismic Beauty wasted no time as she sprinted to the front and was clear of 4-5 favorite Splendora rounding the first turn. Clicking off race horse fractions of :23.05 and :46.25, the 8-5 second choice continued to control the narrative through three quarters in 1:09.84. Still clear of fellow Bob Baffert trainee turning for home, the 4-year-old was not for catching late, rolling home and five-length winner. It was a couple of lengths back to Princess of Time in third.
“That time, whoa,” Baffert said from the winner's circle. “That's serious racehorse time.”
Seismic Beauty recorded the fastest Santa Margarita final time since 2012. That year Include Me Out, ridden by Joe Talamo for trainer Ron Ellis, won by three lengths in a time of 1:47.62.
“When she got to the lead, she was comfortable and was traveling good,” said winning rider Antonio Fresu. “She's a strong type, you can see her physically, she is so big. And so classy. Warming up with the pony it was like she had done it a hundred times. She was professional with everything. She was just a step slow from the gate, she's so big, but once she got into a good rhythm I was always comfortable.”
A close-up second in her career bow at Del Mar last August, the bay rebounded to score by five lengths at that venue barely one month later.
Debuting at four, she finished runner up in a six-furlong optional claimer at Santa Anita in February before coming home third adding a sixteenth of a mile Mar. 14. Stretching to a mile for her latest, the Maryland-bred filly bounced home an easy front-running 10-length winner Apr. 18.
“She ran like she's been training” Baffert added. “She's just a big, beautifully striding filly who is getting better. We gave her plenty of time to mature.”
As for what's next, he said, “It's going to be something big. She's ready for something big.”
Pedigree Notes:
Determined Stud, the breeder of this filly, purchased stakes-placed dam Knarsdale for $430,000 with this filly in utero at the Keeneland November Sale in 2020. Since then, the mare has produced a trio of foals–Cincazul, a colt by Bernardini), realized $500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October sale in 2023. Additionally, she has an unraced juvenile filly by Essential Quality (named My Steel Magnolia) and a yearling filly by Uncle Mo. The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro was bred back to Charlatan.
“She's a big Uncle Mo filly that covers a lot of ground.”
Kurt Hoover caught up with trainer @BobBaffert after SEISMIC BEAUTY won the $200,000 Santa Margarita Stakes (G2) at @SantaAnitaPark. pic.twitter.com/DvJQjgyIbg
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) May 25, 2025
Sunday, Santa Anita Park
SANTA MARGARITA S.-GII, $200,000, Santa Anita, 5-25, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:48.30, ft.
1–SEISMIC BEAUTY, 122, f, 4, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Knarsdale (SP, $103,692), by Medaglia d'Oro
2nd Dam: Secret File, by Smart Strike
3rd Dam: Emery Board, by Grindstone
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($400,000 Wlg '21 FTKNOV; $550,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-MyRacehorse and Pater Leidel; B-2500 Determined Stud (MD); T-Bob Baffert; J-Antonio Fresu. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 6-3-2-1, $236,840. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Splendora, 122, f, 4, Audible–Miss Freeze, by Frost Giant.
($125,000 Ylg '22 FTKJUL). O-By Talla Racing LLC; B-The Elkstone Group LLC (MD); T-Bob Baffert. $40,000.
3–Princess of Time, 122, m, 5, Not This Time–Movie Star Magic, by The Cliff's Edge. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($170,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $200,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Mike G. Rutherford; B-Tim Thornton (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $24,000.
Margins: 5, 2HF, 18HF. Odds: 1.70, 0.80, 8.80.
Also Ran: Alpha Bella, Liberal Lady. Scratched: Where's My Ring.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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