Zipse: Seismic Beauty shows star power for Breeders’ Cup

The Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar has been won by some of the greatest female runners I ever had the pleasure of seeing take to the track. It remains to be seen whether Seismic Beauty will someday even be in the same Zip code with legends like Princess Rooney, Bayakoa, Azeri, Zenyatta and Beholder, but Saturday the talented filly moved one step closer to stardom.

Zipping right along on the early lead, Seismic Beauty looked like a winner every single step of the way against a solid field in the $400,000 feature, ultimately coasting to a 1 1/2-length victory. In so doing, the daughter of Uncle Mo announced herself a serious threat in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar.

Seismic Beauty goes gate to wire in Hirsch.

Thorpedo Anna was last year’s convincing Distaff winner in what was the culmination of a sensational sophomore campaign. With the reigning horse of the year possibly pointing for the Breeders’ Cup Classic instead in 2025, it leaves the door open for a new winner of America’s richest race for the female set. Enter Seismic Beauty.

Ridden by Juan Hernández, the Bob Baffert-trained filly was sent off as a strong 11-10 favorite in the field of six despite the presence of graded-stakes winners Kopion, Richi and Royal Spa.

With those three all content to sit behind the race favorite, Seismic Beauty was left to her own devices.

Breaking sharply from her rail draw, Hernández had little more to do than to get the talented 4-year-old into a smooth rhythm on the front end.

Royal Spa was closest early and tried to take the race to her but never was able to put much pressure on the leader. Seismic Beauty dominated the race from gate to wire.

Grade 1 winner Kopion, who was stretching out from a series of sprints and was a little farther off the lead than expected, rallied well down the Del Mar stretch to be a clear second over Richi and Royal Spa but never threatened the winner.

Seismic Beauty finished off the 8 1/2 furlongs of the Clement Hirsch at 1:42.33 after splits of 22.85, 46.63, 1:10.32, and 1:35.52. As a win-and-you’re-in race for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, she will have her spot in the big one Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Having displayed plenty of promise in a pair of maiden races last summer at Del Mar, Seismic Beauty burned plenty of money in her next two starts, which came early this year. Beaten in two straight allowance sprints as a prohibitive favorite, it wasn’t until Baffert stretched her out that she began to show off her true potential.

A 10-length massacre in allowance company while going a flat mile in April earned her a shot in the nine-furlong Santa Margarita (G2) in late May at Santa Anita.

For the first time in her career she was not the favorite that afternoon, but when the gates opened, it was all Seismic Beauty. Having rolled by five lengths in her stakes debut, she returned to favoritism Saturday in her initial Grade 1 test.

Bred in Maryland, Seismic Beauty is out of stakes-placed Medaglia d’Oro mare Knarsdale. She was purchased for $550,000 at the Keeneland September 2022 yearling sale.

Owned by MyRacehorse and Peter Leidel, the bay filly raised her career record to 7: 4-2-1 with earnings of $476,840. Most importantly, as we approach the important races of the fall, she has rattled off three straight impressive victories since leaving the sprint game.

In her winning streak to date, no horse has challenged Seismic Beauty early. That speaks to her impressive early speed, and that is always dangerous, but what will happen in a race when she is challenged early?

With or without Thorpedo Anna in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff, the new horse on the block has announced herself a serious one to watch.

Seismic Beauty is fast, improving and on Saturday we learned she is very much at home at Del Mar.