Domain Expansion ($31) gains BC Juvenile Fillies spot with solid Oak Leaf performance

ARCADIA, Calif. - Domain Expansion, one of two maidens in a field of six, closed from fourth on the backstretch to win Saturday’s Grade 2 Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita at 14-1 by a surprising seven lengths.

Domain Expansion ($31) was ridden by 39-year-old Adrian Escobedo, his first graded stakes win in the eighth career mount in such a race.

With the win, Domain Expansion earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland on Oct. 30, a race that will be strongly considered, trainer Leonard Powell said.

Domain Expansion beat three well-regarded 2-year-old fillies trained by Bob Baffert on Saturday.

Escobedo had Domain Expansion on the inside on the backstretch of the $200,500 Oak Leaf Stakes, stalking pacesetter Deluge, the 3-1 second choice, through a fair pace of 23.05 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.11 for a half-mile.

:: Get ready for Santa Anita racing with DRF PPs, Clocker Reports, Picks and more. Shop Now.

On the turn, Escobedo moved Domain Expansion into contention with a four-wide. Domain Expansion rallied past Deluge and 3-1 Holmby, both trained by Baffert.

Domain Expansion led by two lengths with a furlong to go and widened her lead late. She ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.44.

“At the beginning, she felt like she wanted to go,” Escobedo said. “On the backstretch, I knew I had a lot of horse.

“Coming down the stretch, she was looking for horses.”

Holmby held second, finishing 3 1/4 lengths in front of the Baffert-trained Quattro Passi, the even-money favorite.

Holmby, winner of the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 9, but a well-beaten third behind the Baffert-trained Miss Monica in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 5, led briefly on the final turn.

“She tried,” jockey Ricky Gonzalez said. “It looked good for a minute. She ran her race.”

Quattro Passi, a maiden race winner at six furlongs by 9 1/4 lengths at Del Mar on Sept. 6, closed from fifth but was not a factor in the stretch.

Free Closer, who was in contention while wide on the turn, faded to finish fourth, followed by Deluge and the maiden Janie Not Jeanie.

Domain Expansion is the first graded stakes winner by Speaker’s Corner, an 8-year-old Kentucky-based stallion by Street Sense. Purchased for $130,000 at the 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Domain Expansion races for the partnership of California Racing Partners, Ciaglia Racing, Allen Keith and Kevin O’Donnell.

Domain Expansion was second by 1 1/4 lengths at 20-1 in a maiden race at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Sept. 5, breaking slowly and racing in traffic on the turn.

Escobedo has ridden 200 winners on all breeds since his career began in 2021.

Our Moonlight wins Chillingworth via DQ

Our Moonlight was promoted from second to first in Saturday’s Grade 3 Chillingworth Stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita after first-place finisher Paradise City was disqualified for an incident early in the race when Our Moonlight was checked.

Tiago Pereira, who rode Our Moonlight, lodged an objection against the winner, stating his filly was impeded. After an eight-minute inquiry, the stewards voted 2-1 to demote Paradise City to second.

The stewards ruled that Our Moonlight “had to check and lost ground,” steward Kim Sawyer said.

Paradise City (4-1) stalked the pace before closing on the rail in the stretch, finishing a neck in front of Our Moonlight, who closed from fourth with a three-wide move in the stretch.

Paradise City ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.36. She was ridden by Kazushi Kimura, a replacement for Micah Husbands, who rode at Delaware Park on Saturday.

Kimura expressed surprise at the disqualification.

“I was already clear,” he said. “I had position.”

Our Moonlight ($17.40) finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of 7-10 favorite Thermal, who set an early pace of 21.97 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.20 for a half-mile.

Thermal led by two lengths on the turn, a margin that was reduced to a half-length with a furlong remaining.

Rosie Jeeks finished fourth, beaten 9 1/4 lengths, and was followed by No Bad Beats and Toaster, the 3-1 second choice. Toaster was beaten for the first time in the $100,500 Chillingworth, her stakes debut and third start. She led or disputed the pace in her first two wins, but was never a factor in the Chillingworth.

Our Moonlight, a 4-year-old filly by Tapit, has won 3 of 12 starts and earned $217,680 for owners Larry and Ann Jett and trainer Dean Pederson. She was third in the Grade 3 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita in June 2025, and second in the restricted Tranquility Lake Stakes at Del Mar on Sept. 5 in her first two appearances in stakes.

Paradise City, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., won the $98,000 Saylorville Stakes at six furlongs at Prairie Meadows in July, and was fifth in the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 29 in her two previous starts.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.