Richi Wins Again in G2 Santa Maria

For the second time this year, multiple Group I winner Richi (5m Practical Joke x Rich Baby, by Scat Daddy) registered a U.S. graded stakes success with a 4 ½ length Grade II Santa Maria Stakes victory.

Going off as the favorite in the 1 1/16-mile dirt race, Richi took command of the race out of the gate to set the pace. Fayette Fox didn’t let her get away with much, keeping the leader honest down the backstretch with others also applying the pressure in the tightly packed field.

Richi started to pull away from the others in the far turn and when asked for even more in the stretch was happy to comply. She extended that lead despite just some hand urging from her jockey, winning by 4 ½ lengths over stablemate Splendora with the rest of the field over 15 lengths behind the winner.

Trained by Bob Baffert for Hill ‘n’ Dale and Stud Vendaval, Richi has won two of her five U.S. starts and has finished in the top three in the other three. Those on-board finishes include a close second in last month’s Grade I Beholder Mile and a third in the Grade II Santa Monica Stakes. Those placing come after a 2023 that saw Richi win six of eight starts, including two Grade Is.

“She is just getting better,” Baffert said. “I really think that she is getting acclimated now to the United States. It takes them about a year to get them acclimated to the states. But she just gets stronger and stronger and has developed into a really nice filly.”

Named Chile’s Champion 2-Year-Old Dirt Filly off those accomplishments, Richi is one of four winners from four to race out of multiple Group II placed Rich Baby.

That mare is one of four stakes horses out of her own dam, whose runners are led by Group II winner and Group I placed Rich Court.

Practical Joke’s seven stakes winners in 2025 is behind only Into Mischief and Gun Runner with his 20 stakes horses this year second only to his sire.