Chilean-bred horses have been making an impact on North American racing for considerable time.
Indeed, since Cougar II earned honors as champion turf horse in 1972 more than a dozen Chilean-breds have won United States grade 1 events, also including Miss Brio, who defeated Winning Colors for the 1989 Maskette Stakes (G1); Puerto Madero, who left Silver Charm trailing in third in the 1999 Donn Handicap (G1); Lido Palace, successful in the Woodward Stakes (G1) in 2001 and 2002; the 2005 Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) victor, Host; and other such standout performers as Dacita, Wow Cat, Robert Bruce, Wild Spirit, Malek, Mash One, Noches De Rosa, and Cocoa Beach.
The latest candidate to join those notables may well be Richi, who impressed April 19 when taking the Santa Maria Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park.
A 5-year-old by Northern Hemisphere time, Richi arrived in the U.S. as a proven and versatile performer. Champion 2-year-old dirt filly in Chile in 2023, she gained black-type victories in the Alberto Vial Letelier at seven furlongs; the Jose Saavedra Baeza (G3), Tanteo de Potrancas (G1), and Carlos Allende Navarro (G3), all at 7 1/2 furlongs; and, the Alberto Solari Magnasco (G1) at 1 1/4 miles.
Despite her 10-length victory in Alberto Solari Magnasco, Richi began her North American career as a sprinter. A debut second in the six-furlong Desert Stormer Stakes in 2024 was followed by a win in the Las Flores Stakes (G3), also at six furlongs, and a third in the seven-furlong Santa Monica Stakes (G2). Stretching out another panel for the B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile Stakes (G1), Richi set all the pace before going down by three-quarters of a length to her undefeated stable companion Cavalieri. In the Santa Maria Stakes (G2) she was again at the head of affairs from the off, and after opening up by three lengths at the top of the stretch cruised home 4 1/2 lengths clear. Richi, who has improved her Beyer Speed Figure with each start since her U.S. debut, earned a 102 Beyer for this effort, and her connections are hoping that she will develop into a Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) contender.
Richi is one of the 17 stakes winners, 16 graded, and seven grade 1 winners sired by Practical Joke from two Southern Hemisphere shuttle crops in Chile. Another of these, Mufasa, a grade 3 winner in Chile, has captured the Vosburgh Stakes (G3) and Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) in 2024 the U.S.
This side of the equator, Practical Joke has been making a rapid ascent though the commercial stallion ranks in the last few years. Having retired to Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky., at a fee of $30,000, which dropped to $22,500 for his fourth year at stud, the son of Into Mischief now stands at a published fee of $100,000 for the current season. He has 31 stakes winners from his first five Northern Hemisphere crops, 13 of those graded among them the late 2023 Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Practical Move; Ways and Means, successful in the Test Stakes (G1) and Gallant Bloom Stakes (G2) in 2024; Domestic Product , who captured three graded stakes, including the 2024 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1), and who now stands alongside his sire; and Chocolate Gelato, who took the 2022 Frizette Stakes (G1).
Richi's dam, Rich Baby, was from a shuttle crop by Scat Daddy, and won three times, and was twice grade 2-placed in Chile. She is half sister to the grade 2-winning and grade 1-placed Rich Court. The granddam, Richwood Royal, a winner in the U.S. from only three starts, owns an interesting pedigree as her sire, Royal Academy, and her broodmare sire, Magical Wonder, are both by sons of Northern Dancer out of mares by Crimson Satan, those sons of Northern Dancer being the similarly bred Nijinsky II and Storm Bird.
Richwood Royal is half sister to English sprint stakes winner Atmospheric and to the granddam of 2020 champion Italian 2-year-old colt Vis a Vis, and her dam, the Irish-bred Magic Feeling, was successful in the 1996 Estrapade Stakes at Hollywood Park while racing in the U.S., after running in several hurdle races in Ireland earlier in her career. Behind this, the pedigree has a distinctly European flavor, and the fourth dam, Papsie's Pet, is by 1967 British Horse of the Year Busted, out of Merry Madcap II, winner of two black-type events in England at 2, and of the July Cup, one of England's premier sprinting events, at 3.
Richi is one of eight stakes winners from 31 starters, four of them Chilean grade 1 winners, by Practical Joke out of mares by Scat Daddy, with both Practical Joke and Scat Daddy being Storm Cat/Mr. Prospector crosses. The double of Storm Cat in Richi's pedigree is also interesting in view of what was noted regarding the presence of Royal Academy and Magical Wonder in the pedigree of Richi's second dam. Storm Cat is by Storm Bird out of a daughter of the mare Crimson Saint (by Crimson Satan); Royal Academy is by Nijinsky II (bred similarly to Storm Bird) out of Crimson Saint; and Magical Wonder is by Storm Bird out of a Crimson Satan mare.
