Breeders’ Cup: Splendora, Baffert win Filly & Mare Sprint

Splendora wheeled three wide out of the turn to take the lead at the top of the stretch on her way to a 4 3/4-length victory Saturday in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, the first of nine championship races on the Del Mar card.

It was the 20th Breeders’ Cup win for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, tying him for second with the late D. Wayne Lukas. Aidan O’Brien, who had one win Friday, is atop the list with 21. Baffert won the Filly & Mare Sprint once before with Gamine in 2020.

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Flavien Prat had Splendora traveling fifth up the backstretch in the field of seven. Even-money favorite Hope Road set the pace through a quarter-mile in 22.12 seconds. Haulin Ice in second pressed the half-mile pace at 44.64 seconds.

Splendora got on even terms with the leaders in the turn before Prat accelerated the 4-year-old Audible filly into the stretch to draw away through a three-quarter-mile split of 1:09.29 and a winning time of 1:21.79 on the fast main track.

Vahva closed from sixth to finish second. Hope Rode settled for third, Zeitlos fourth and Richi fifth.

By Talla Racing owns Splendora, who won her last two starts before Saturday. She is 4-for-4 at Del Mar including a last-out, 5 1/2-length triumph in the black-type Tranquility Lake Stakes on Sept. 1.

The complexion of the race changed dramatically Saturday morning when Sweet Azteca and Tamara, the top two choices on the morning line, were scratched by veterinarians. Both horses’ trainers were quoted as saying they disagreed with the decisions.

“I don’t know what the reason is,” Sweet Azteca’s trainer Richard Baltas told Daily Racing Form. He said veterinarians were overly concerned about a possible quarter crack on the 5-year-old mare’s right front foot.

“Maybe they’re right and we’ll find something, but she looked acceptable to me,” Richard Mandella told DRF about Tamara. He said doctors found a problem with the 4-year-old filly’s left front foot.

This was the 19th running of the Filly & Mare Sprint, which was established in 2007 when the Breeders’ Cup expanded from one to two days. That was when the race was run at six furlongs. It has been seven furlongs since.

Before Saturday, favorites had won four of the last six editions of the race. Soul of an Angel was a 19-1 exception last year.