Seismic Beauty has easy time with Santa Margarita Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - Seismic Beauty’s win in Sunday’s Grade 2 Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita was so popular there were two winner’s circle photos.

So many members of the My Racehorse micro-share partnership were in attendance that Seismic Beauty posed for two photos. She stood for the first picture before the gathered group shuffled out of the winner’s circle and were replaced by another enthusiastic group of owners. Seismic Beauty was briefly walked onto the adjacent main track before the second photo.

Through it all, Seismic Beauty was as poised during the lengthy photo session as she was in the $200,000 race for fillies and mares.

Ridden for the first time by Antonio Fresu, Seismic Beauty ($5.40) took the lead at the start and was never challenged, winning by five lengths.

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“When she got to the lead, she was comfortable,” Fresu said. “She’s a strong type, you can see physically she is so big, and so classy.

“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 all the way.”

Seismic Beauty ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.30, the quickest in the race since Include Me Out was timed in 1:47.62 in 2012. Seismic Beauty earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 104, the best Beyer for a filly or mare this year at a mile or longer.

Seismic Beauty set early fractions of 23.05 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.25 for a half-mile, leading by two lengths at the end of the backstretch.

Seismic Beauty led a 1-2 finish for 4-year-old fillies trained by Bob Baffert. Splendora, the 4-5 favorite, finished second. She chased Seismic Beauty through the Santa Margarita, unable to make ground in the final furlong. Splendora had finished second to another Baffert-trained runner, Richi, in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on April 19. Richi was not entered in the Santa Margarita.

The Santa Margarita was the first start at 1 1/8 miles for Seismic Beauty and Splendora. Jockey Juan Hernandez had his choice of mounts when entries were taken last Monday, and went with Splendora. Hernandez said Splendora ran her race in the Santa Margarita.

“Both fillies are good fillies,” Hernandez said. “My filly likes the distance. The other filly is a nice filly. There is nothing more to say.”

Splendora finished 2 1/2 lengths clear of Princess of Time, who was well clear of Alpha Bella and Liberal Lady in the field of five.

Where’s My Ring, third in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 12, was withdrawn. She is entered in Monday’s Grade 1 Gamely Stakes on turf at Santa Anita, and Saturday’s Grade 3 Shawnee Stakes on dirt at Churchill Downs. Trainer Peter Miller said on Friday that Where’s My Ring is likely to run in the $275,000 Shawnee Stakes.

Seismic Beauty, by Uncle Mo, races for the My Racehorse syndicate and Peter Leidel. Seismic Beauty has won 3 of 6 starts and earned $236,840. She was purchased as a yearling for $550,000 but did not have her debut until last August at Del Mar.

“We gave her plenty of time to mature,” Baffert said.

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