There were no secrets heading into the GIII Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita Sunday afternoon. Carded early in the program, the short three-horse field was a headed by a pair of pricey Bob Baffert runners–GI Del Mar Debutante winner Tenma (Nyquist), campaigned by Boama Corp. and Speedway Stables’ Cipriani (Bernardini), named a TDN Rising Star following an 8 1/4-length victory in Arcadia last October. When the dust had settled, it was the hotly-backed 2-5 choice Tenma that proved best on the day.
The win earned Tenma 20 additional qualifying points for this year’s GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.
Breaking alertly, Tenma sprinted into the first turn and momentarily allowed 4-1 chance Just As Fancy to assume a narrow advantage while fellow Baffert-trained Cipriani lingered far back in the short three-horse field through a :23.05 quarter. Overtaking her stubborn rival exiting the far turn, the $850,000 OBS April purchase was given some encouragement by Juan Hernandez straightening for home, however, it proved unnecessary as her stablemate, an $875,000 OBSMAR graduate, did her best to close on the free-running frontrunner, but could come no closer than 6 1/2 lengths at the wire.