“He ate all of his dinner last night, his legs are cold and tight this morning,” she added.
Vodka Vodka won the 1 1/8-mile Turf Classic by a half-length under Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux. In its only previous stakes attempt, which took place on the opening day of the Classic Meet on December 28, Vodka Vodka finished fourth on dirt in the Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes (G2).
Vodka Vodka, bred by co-owners Jerry Baker and Connie Baker, is a 5-year-old gelding by Stay thirsty from the Hard spun mare Margie’s minute . Are About 4 year old half sister, Om N Joy gave Ordonez her first victory in the Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) last year Sea. The two siblings together helped Ordonez post a career-best year in 2025 with $645,233 in earnings, more than double her previous record. Ordonez currently has nine horses in his stable.
“It is incredible to have the two best horses of my career running at the same time. In the stable, safe and sound at the start of a new year,” said Ordonez. “I look back at last year and I couldn’t have dreamed of putting something like this together. I almost didn’t want the year to change. I didn’t want to turn the calendar around. I thought there’s no way we can keep that up or do it again. Then Dark Omen immediately comes up with a giant race to break his girl here and now Vodka Vodka becomes a stakes winner. It’s more than I could have dreamed of.”
Dark omen a 3-year-old gelding by Om, was a debut winner at Santa Anita on Jan. 10 for Ordonez and owner-breeders Larry and Marianne Williams.
The next step for Vodka Vodka and Om N Joy could be Class 1 on March 7 at Santa Anita. Ordonez is eyeing the 1 1/4-mile Santa Anita Handicap (G1) for Vodka Vodka, while Om N Joy is a candidate for the Beholder Mile (G1) on the same day.
“I’m a dreamer. I like to swing big,” Ordonez said. “(Vodka Vodka) ran a great race. I think his best race is actually dirt, I don’t think it’s grass.”
Om N Joy gallops back to Santa Anita after spending “six to eight weeks” on the farm. She concluded the 2025 campaign on October 18 with a fourth-place finish in the Raven Run Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.
“She looks great,” Ordonez. “She looks like a four-year-old now. She lost some weight at the end of last year and I knew she needed some time to recover after a tough season.
“She’ll be ready in March. I’d like to try her out in the Beholder. I know people say ‘wow’ when I say the Beholder, but she’s been ‘wow’ me for a while.”
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
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