Cavalieri's best yet to come, says Baffert

ARCADIA, Calif. - Cavalieri is unbeaten in four starts, a two-time stakes winner, and nowhere near reaching the peak of her ability.

That was the assessment of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert in the immediate aftermath of Cavalieri’s win in Saturday’s Grade 1 Beholder Mile for fillies and mares at Santa Anita.

“We always knew she would be a superstar,” Baffert said.

Cavalieri will have ample opportunity in coming months to sort her way through the older filly and mare division on dirt.

Owned by the Speedway Stable of Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner, Cavalieri won the Beholder by three-quarters of a length as the 11-10 favorite over stablemate Richi, also trained by Baffert.

Cavalieri tracked Richi to the final furlong before taking the lead. Cavalieri ran a mile in 1:34.96, earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 101.

“That was racehorse time,” Baffert said. “I’m proud of both horses.”

Richi was a two-time Group 1 winner in Chile in 2023 and won the Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes at six furlongs on Jan. 4 in her second start in the United States.

Cavalieri, purchased for $900,000 at the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds in-training, did not have her first start until last August, winning a maiden race at a mile at Del Mar.

Cavalieri, by Nyquist, has raced only at a mile or 1 1/16 miles in her brief career. She won an allowance race at a mile at Santa Anita last October in her final start of 2024.

In her debut as a 4-year-old, Cavalieri won the Grade 3 La Canada Stakes at 1 1/16 miles by racing near the front throughout.

“The filly is still learning,” Baffert said.

Baffert was left impressed by the manner of Cavalieri’s win, considering that Richi set a solid half-mile time of 46.24 seconds.

“Down the backstretch, I thought they were going very fast,” Baffert said.

Cavalieri is a half-sister to Affirmative Lady, the winner of the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks in April 2023, days before Cavalieri was purchased at auction. Cavalieri was the most expensive filly of a four-day sale. She has earned $318,000.

“Her breeding, well, Nyquist speaks for itself,” Fluor said in the winner’s circle in reference to Cavalieri’s winning streak. “Kind of beyond that, you just keep your fingers crossed.”

Baffert said Cavalieri and Richi emerged from the $301,000 Beholder Mile in “great” condition. He has not stated a race goal this spring for Cavalieri.

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