The Maryland-bred Splendora romps in BC Filly & Mare Sprint * The Racing Biz

Talla Racing’s Splendora delivered a dazzling performance to kick off Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup card at Del Mar. She stormed past her favorite stablemate Hope Road at the top of the stretch to win the $1 million PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) by 4 ¾ lengths.

The Maryland-bred filly, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Flavien Prat, covered seven furlongs in 1:21.79 on a fast track. The victory was Baffert’s twentieth career Breeders’ Cup win and second in this race, and it was Prat’s eighth World Championship victory.

Splendora rode clear early as Haulin Ice led a three-horse battle through an opening quarter in :22.12 before Hope Road took over halfway down the backstretch. Prat began to advance outside Splendora as he approached the corner, and once the pair had kept pace with Hope Road at the start of the track, the response was immediate. Splendora sped past without resistance and took off with authority to secure her first stakes victory.

“To be honest, I was a bit worried that we might lose some speed because of all the scratches, but the pace was reasonable and I was able to travel comfortably,” said Prat. “She went all the way around so easily, and as soon as I got her free, she just gave me a good, strong run.”

Splendora improved to 4-for-4 in Del Mar and won its third straight game. Her two losses prior to the current win streak both came around two turns, including a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Santa Margarita behind fellow Maryland-bred and Breeders’ Cup Distaff favorite Seismic Beauty.

“She worked really well and she loves this song,” Baffert said. “I said to Flavien, when she ran six furlongs here this summer, she ran an incredible race just by not going the pace. When he flew out today and she took off, it was over.”

Splendora paid $7.80 to win. Vahva (9-1) finished second, earning an exacta that earned $28.40 for one dollar. Hope Road came third.

The win was worth $520,000, increasing Splendora’s winnings to $860,800 and improving her record to 5 wins and 4 seconds from 10 starts.

Bred in Maryland by The Elkstone Group LLC, the four-year-old daughter of Audible is out of the stakes-winning Frost Giant mare Miss Freeze. Her owners purchased her for $125,000 at the July 2022 Fasig-Tipton yearling sale.