Splendora, the Breeders’ Cup Filly Sprint champion, is set to make her 2026 debut in the Grade 2 D. Wayne Lucas Stakes at Santa Anita, formerly known as the Santa Monica, according to Daily Racing Form. This seven-furlong race is open to fillies aged four and up.
On February 7, other notable races include the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, a Kentucky Derby prep contested over one mile; the Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes, a Kentucky Oaks trial at one mile; the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes for older turf milers; and the Sweet Life Stakes, a downhill turf event for three-year-old fillies.
If Splendora, now five years old, claims victory, it would mark trainer Bob Baffert’s eighth graded stakes win in this event, extending his record. Since winning the Breeders’ Cup, Splendora has competed ten times, earning five wins and four second-place finishes, with her only finish outside the top three a fourth-place on Santa Monica’s turf last year.
Splendora’s Breeders’ Cup Filly Sprint victory was also the first major stakes win for offspring of the sire Audible. The Tara Racing-owned filly recently notched her first stakes victory at the one-mile Tranquility Lake Stakes on Del Mar’s main track. Purchased for $125,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Select Yearling Sale by Tara Racing and Rockingham Ranch, Splendora was bred by Elkstone Group in Maryland.
For additional details, visit drf.com.
Originally published by Paulick Report on January 23, 2026.
Fan Take: Splendora’s return to stakes competition highlights the emergence of a new star with strong connections, underscoring how promising talent can continue to shape the future of horse racing. Fans should watch closely, as her performances could spark renewed excitement and attract more attention to fillies’ sprint events.
