By Christina Bossinakis
There were no secrets heading into the GIII Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita Sunday afternoon. Carded early in the program, the short three-horse field was a headed by a pair of pricey Bob Baffert runners–GI Del Mar Debutante winner Tenma (Nyquist), campaigned by Boama Corp. and Speedway Stables' Cipriani (Bernardini), named a TDN Rising Star following an 8 1/4-length victory in Arcadia last October. When the dust had settled, it was the hotly-backed 2-5 choice Tenma that proved best on the day.
The win earned Tenma 20 additional qualifying points for this year's GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.
Breaking alertly, Tenma sprinted into the first turn and momentarily allowed 4-1 chance Just As Fancy to assume a narrow advantage while fellow Baffert-trained Cipriani lingered far back in the short three-horse field through a :23.05 quarter. Overtaking her stubborn rival exiting the far turn, the $850,000 OBS April purchase was given some encouragement by Juan Hernandez straightening for home, however, it proved unnecessary as her stablemate, an $875,000 OBSMAR graduate, did her best to close on the free-running frontrunner, but could come no closer than 6 1/2 lengths at the wire. Just as Fancy was a long way off in third.
“She broke beautiful today,” Hernandez said of Tenma. “This filly is getting really professional. Before she was a little rank sometimes, getting out. But this time she went beautifully. She put herself in a good spot. I was outside and had a good position. I was enjoying my trip, then at the quarter pole she switched leads and kicked off to the wire.”
Earning a narrow score at Del Mar last August, Tenma nosed out Vodka With a Twist (Thousand Words) in the Del Mar Debutante the following month. A distant third in the 1 1/16-mile Oak Leaf Oct. 5, she rounded out her juvenile season with a 1 3/4-length score over subsequent Santa Ynez Stakes winner Look Forward (Bolt d'Oro) in the GII Starlet Dec. 7.
“She has been maturing,” Baffert said. “Her worst race was in the Oak Leaf before the Breeders' Cup. I didn't feel like she was mature enough to run in the Breeders' Cup, but now she has come a long way.”
Of the runner-up, Baffert added, “The [Cipriani], she is just really green and just figuring it out. You will see a big improvement out of her.”
Pedigree Notes:
Tenma is out of Amagansett, an unraced daughter of Tapit who boasts a stacked European influence stemming from her dam SW and MGSP Twirl (Ire). Purchased for $875,000 by Bobby Flay at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale in 2018 before reselling for $400,000, in foal to Not This Time, at Fasig's Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale in 2023, the daughter of Galileo (Ire) is a full-sister to Irish Highweight 2 and 3yo filly Misty For Me (Ire), a four-time Group 1 winner–herself responsible for multiple Group 1 scorers U S Navy Flag (War Front) and Roly Poly (War Front)–in addition to Group 1 heroine Ballydoyle (Ire).
Subsequent to Tenma, Amagansett produced a colt by Munnings in 2023 and was not bred back for 2024.
There was never a doubt that TENMA ($2.40) and @JJHernandezS19 were the winners of the $100,000 Las Virgenes Stakes (G3) at @SantaAnitaPark. She added 20 more points to the Kentucky Oaks for trainer @BobBaffert and owners @BaomaCorp. pic.twitter.com/YSlxmOS5Bq
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) February 2, 2025
Sunday, Santa Anita
FASIG-TIPTON LAS VIRGENES S.-GIII, $92,000, Santa Anita, 2-2, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:38.31, ft.
1–TENMA, 124, f, 3, by Nyquist
1st Dam: Amagansett, by Tapit
2nd Dam: Twirl (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
3rd Dam: Butterfly Cove, by Storm Cat
($200,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $850,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Baoma Corp; B-B Flay Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 5-4-0-1, $429,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Cipriani, 120, f, 3, Bernardini–Salamera, by Successful Appeal. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($875,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR). 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Speedway Stables LLC; B-EICO Ventures (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $20,000.
3–Just as Fancy, 120, f, 3, Volatile–Clarendon Fancy, by Malibu Moon. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($285,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG). O-James K. Allender; B-Wynnstay Inc. & H. Allen Poindexter (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $12,000.
Margins: 6HF, 17 3/4, NO. Odds: 0.20, 4.20, 4.50.
Also Ran: Lolo Le Plume. Scratched: Our Moonlight.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.