British Isles, Splendora romp in Big ‘Cap, Beholder Mile

On a giant afternoon of racing at Santa Anita Park, British Isles, Splendora, and Final Boss secured wins in a trio of graded stakes for older horses.

Santa Anita H. (G1)

British Isles, a five-year-old gelded son of Justify, continued his transformation into a dirt horse with a decisive victory in the historic Santa Anita H., a race affectionately known as the “Big ‘Cap.”

The 1 1/4-mile race went off with five starters following the scratches of Skippylongstocking and Westwood.

Breaking from the outside post, British Isles enjoyed a trouble-free trip under jockey Diego Herrera, rating in third place as Midnight Mammoth and Getaway Car sprinted away dueling through fast fractions of :22.86 and :46.63.

Meanwhile, 3-5 favorite Just a Touch found himself bottled up inside and behind rivals, a departure from his typical forwardly placed racing tactics.

British Isles edged closer through six furlongs in 1:11.31 and one mile in 1:36.72. At that point, he launched a decisive bid, putting away the pacesetters with authority. He led by three lengths with a furlong remaining and extended his advantage from there, reaching the finish line 4 1/2 lengths ahead in the time of 2:05.17.

“I don’t even have any words, it is just such a blessing,” Herrera said. “Thank God that everything came together today.”

“I feel great,” said Richard Baltas, who trains British Isles on behalf of Slam Dunk Racing, Deborah A. Baltas, and Cynthia McClanahan. “I was a little worried around the turn. Diego did a great job with the horse. I thought around the turn he was asking him and I didn’t know if he had anything left, then suddenly, he burst away. I was ecstatic.”

Vodka Vodka closed from last place to finish second over Getaway Car. Just a Touch failed to respond once in the clear and came home fourth, followed by Midnight Mammoth.

British Isles has compiled a 24-4-6-4 lifetime record with earnings of $551,826. He spent the majority of his career competing on turf, but has improved since switching to dirt last fall. He entered the Santa Anita H. off a close runner-up finish in the Native Diver (G3) and a fifth in the Pegasus World Cup (G1). 

B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile (G1)

Splendora, the 1-10 favorite in a five-horse field, picked up her fifth consecutive victory when dominating the B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile.

Stretching out in distance off wins in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) and D. Wayne Lukas (G2) dashing seven furlongs, Splendora handled the extra furlong with aplomb. The five-year-old daughter of Audible set fractions of :23.49, :46.77, and 1:10.31 before powering away with ease to triumph by 5 3/4 lengths in 1:35.16.

“She’s really fast out of the gate,” said jockey Juan Hernandez, who guided Splendora for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. “She was doing it really easy. The first fraction was just perfect.”

Bless the Broken raced in second place at every call and pulled seven lengths clear of third-place finisher Om N Joy, followed by Simply Joking and Nafisa.

After the race, Baffert indicated there’s still unfinished business for Splendora. She was a finalist for 2025 champion female sprinter, but lost the title to Shisospicy.

“The main thing is to get her to the Breeders’ Cup and get her that championship, which she should have gotten (last year),” said Baffert.

Splendora is owned by the partnership of Boyd Racing and By Talla Racing. She boasts a 12-7-4-0 career record with earnings of $1,160,800.

Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G2)

Longshot players disappointed by the chalky outcome of the Beholder Mile got their chance to score big in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G2). Final Boss, the longest shot in an eight-horse field at 31-1, outkicked favored El Potente to win the grass mile in a driving finish.

The early pace was hot as Mi Bago opened up a commanding lead through splits of :22.88, :45.95, and 1:08.66. Cabo Spirit was the closest pursuer, in turn opening up a daylight advantage over Final Boss, who saved ground in third place under Hernandez. El Potente was content to rate in fourth place.

Turning for home, Mi Bago began to shorten stride, allowing Final Boss and El Potente to launch menacing rallies. El Potente appeared to have the winning momentum, but Final Boss—surging between horses—found something extra in the final yards to score by half a length in 1:32.94.

Almendares closed from last to snag third place, followed by Gas Me Up, Mi Hermano Ramon, Cabo Spirit, Astronomer, and Mi Bago.

Owned by the partnership of By Talla Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds, Final Boss is a five-year-old son of American Pharoah. He’s compiled a 15-6-1-0 record with earnings of $378,700.

The Kilroe Mile marked Final Boss’ first start since September. He was last seen recording sixth-place finishes in the City of Hope Mile (G2) and in the Del Mar H. (G2) two back, both races in which Final Boss set or pressed the pace.

“I think the last couple of times he was a little rank,” Hernandez said. “To be honest, it was kind of my fault because I was chasing a little bit. Today, he broke good, but I left him alone. That was the key. He relaxed and finished really strong.”

Racing continues on Sunday at Santa Anita with two more stakes on a nine-race card, including the Santa Ysabel (G3), a Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifier.