Seismic Beauty Serves Notice With Powerful Win In Sunday’s Grade II Santa Margarita Stakes For Fillies And Mares Going 1 1/8 Miles At Santa Anita

SEISMIC BEAUTY SERVES NOTICE WITH POWERFUL WIN IN SUNDAY’S GRADE II SANTA MARGARITA STAKES FOR FILLIES AND MARES GOING 1 1/8 MILES AT SANTA ANITA

ARCADIA, CA (May 25, 2025)—The future is bright for Seismic Beauty. Making her stakes debut for trainer Bob Baffert in Sunday’s Grade II, $200,000 Santa Margarita Stakes going 1 1/8 miles, the 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo romped to a five-length victory while posting the fastest winning time in the Santa Margarita in 13 years.

With Antonio Fresu aboard for the first time, Seismic Beauty (8-5) went straight to the front and sizzled through opening fractions of 23.05, 46.25 and 1:09.84 for six furlongs. Chasing her in second throughout was stablemate Splendora the 4-5 favorite, who never seriously threatened. Seismic Beauty motored to the eighth pole in 1:34.96 with a three-length advantage and sped under the wire to win in in 1:48.30.

“That time, whoa,” Baffert said from the winner’s circle. “That’s serious racehorse time.”

Seismic Beauty finished faster than every Santa Margarita winner since 2012. That year Include Me Out, ridden by Joe Talamo for trainer Ron Ellis, won by 3 ¾ lengths in a time of 1:47.62.

Runner-up Splendora with Juan Hernandez aboard finished 2 ½ lengths clear of third-place finisher Princess of Time (8-1).

“When she got to the lead, she was comfortable and was traveling good,” Fresu said of the winner. “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.”

Owned by My Racehorse and Peter Leidel, Seismic Beauty was a $550,000 auction buy as a yearling. In her previous start April 18 at Santa Anita, Seismic Beauty aired by 10 lengths in a first-level allowance going a mile. It was her first time racing around two turns after earning minor shares in a pair of sprints earlier this year at Santa Anita.

Seismic Beauty first flashed serious potential at last year’s Del Mar summer meet when she broke her maiden by five lengths sprinting six furlongs. She was then put away for the remainder of the year before resurfacing in February.

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

Added the Hall of Fame trainer, “She ran like she’s been training. She’s just a big, beautifully striding filly who is getting better.”

The win was Baffert’s fifth in the Santa Margarita, which was first run during Santa Anita’s inaugural season in 1934, and the first for Fresu.

As for what’s next for Seismic Beauty?

“It’s going to be something big. She’s ready for something big,” Baffert said.

Seismic Beauty paid $5.40, $2.40 and $2.10. Splendora returned $2.10 and $2.10. Princess of Time, with Kazushi Kimura up for trainer Michael McCarthy, paid $2.80.

Live racing resumes Monday with a special 11-race Memorial Day card starting at 1 p.m. PT. On-track patrons will receive $1 beers and sodas and $2 hot dogs