3 minute read

Hudson Ridge provides Baffert with a stakes double at Santa Anita.

A day after the Bob Baffert-trained As Time Goes By won the Santa Margarita Stakes (Gr 2, 8.5f), providing her Coolmore Australia shuttler American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile) with his 15th stakes winner, stablemate Hudson Ridge (3 c ex Shell House by Galileo) captured the Cinema Stakes (Listed, 8.5f) at Santa Anita, becoming his sire's 16th stakes winner. 

Ridden by Abel Cedillo, Hudson Ridge settled down in third in the five-runner field. Moved up to second, with the field led by Jimmy Irish (Jimmy Creed), Hudson Ridge started making his challenge rounding the home turn and then ran on well in the straight to pull clear and beat Sword Zorro (Zoffany) by a length and a quarter. There was another two and a quarter lengths back to Airman (Tonalist) in third.  

"I got to give Abel's agent, Tom Knust, the credit for this one," said Baffert.

"I nominated for the race, but I wasn't planning on running here and he said we should, that the horse had trouble last time and that he'd fit well with these horses. The break, I don't know what happened. It was crazy."

Bred by Orpendale, Chelston and Wynatt, Hudson Ridge is one of three winners and the only, from as many foals to race, out of Group 3 placed Galileo (Sadler's Wells) mare Shell House and the colt becomes his dam's first stakes winner. 

Hudson Ridge's second dam is Bonnie Byerly (Dayjur) who produced six winners including Grade 2 winner Diabolical (Artax) and Group 3 winner and Group 1 placed filly What A Name (Mr Greeley). 

The victory also provided Coolmore's multiple champion sire Galileo with his 202nd stakes winner as a broodmare sire.