It will be hard to top Randy and Jenny Boyd's first trip to Santa Anita Park, when they witnessed Splendora, a mare they co-own with Michael Talla, win the B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile (G1). But the Boyds have another chance at a Santa Anita graded stakes in the $200,000 Santa Margarita Stakes (G2) May 30 with Seismic Beauty, who they own outright in the name of their Boyd Racing.
"They're fun and they have a lot of energy," said Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who trains Seismic Beauty and Splendora for the Boyds. "They never thought they'd be in the horse business. They want to have mares and race. They love the horses."
This won't be 5-year-old Seismic Beauty's first attempt at the 1 1/8-mile Santa Margarita. She is the defending champion, having won it last year when owned by MyRacehorse and Peter Leidel. Baffert has trained Seismic Beauty throughout her career, and the trainer is going for his fourth consecutive win in the race. Prior to Seismic Beauty, Baffert-trained Adare Manor won back-to-back editions in 2023-24. Baffert also won the race in 2021 with As Time Goes By and in 2017 with Vale Dori.
After the 2025 Santa Margarita, Seismic Beauty added the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) at Del Mar, earning a "Win & You're In" berth to the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). A bobble at the start compromised her chances in that race, however, and she was eased at the wire. Two days later at the The November Sale at Fasig-Tipton in Kentucky, bloodstock agency Killora/Linton bought Seismic Beauty for the Boyds for $2.5 million.
"I told (the Boyds), 'Look, if you're going to bring her back, she needs 90 days off,' " Baffert said. "They freshened her up, and she came back in and is better than ever."
Seismic Beauty, a Maryland-bred daughter of Uncle Mo, gets her regular pilot, Juan Hernandez, and drew post three against four others.
Those rivals include quick-returning California-bred champion Om N Joy, who ran seventh on the turf in the May 23 Fran's Valentine Stakes against California-breds and California-sired fillies and mares. A 4-year-old, Om N Joy has five lifetime victories, all on the dirt. Four of those wins came in stakes, including the 2025 Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) at Del Mar. Her stakes placings include a third behind Splendora in the Beholder. Kent Desoremeaux rides Om N Joy from the rail for trainer Aggie Ordonez.
Trainer Michael McCarthy, who won the May 25 Shoemaker Mile (G1T) with Formidable Man, brings Simply Joking to the Santa Margarita. The 4-year-old Pennsylvania-bred filly is coming off a 6 3/4-length win in the April 19 Santa Maria Stakes (G3) and prior to that ran fourth in the Beholder. A stakes winner at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in early 2025 before McCarthy began training her, Simply Joking has placed in three stakes, including a second in the 2025 Fantasy Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park.
Lemon Muffin, trained by Patrick Gallagher and the only Kentucky-bred in the field, ran third in the Santa Maria. The 5-year-old mare was one of the last horses trained by the late D. Wayne Lukas and won the 2024 Honeybee Stakes (G3) for him at Oaklawn. Prior to the Santa Maria, Lemon Muffin finished fourth in the D. Wayne Lukas Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita.
California-bred Lavender Love, trained by Richard Baltas, is making her stakes debut and rounds out the field. In her last race, a mile allowance optional claiming race May 15, she scored by 4 1/2 lengths.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, May 30, 2026, Race 8Entries: Santa Margarita S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Om N Joy (CA) Kent J. Desormeaux 124 Aggie Ordonez 5/1 2 2Lemon Muffin (KY) Kazushi Kimura 122 Patrick Gallagher 15/1 3 3Seismic Beauty (MD) Juan J. Hernandez 124 Bob Baffert 2/5 4 4Simply Joking (PA) Emisael Jaramillo 124 Michael W. McCarthy 3/1 5 5Lavender Love (CA) Armando Ayuso 122 Richard Baltas 10/1
