Baoma Corp's Himika stayed undefeated with a dominating 4 1/4 length win in the $150,500 Sorrento Stakes (G3) Aug. 10 at Del Mar, giving Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert his ninth win in the race. This was the first win in the Sorrento Stakes for owners Baoma Corp.
The daughter of Curlin , sent off as the 1-5 favorite, broke sharply and stalked the pace before putting her head in front at the 5/16th pole to draw away in the stretch from her five rivals. Himika was geared down in the final stages, finishing the six-furlong race in 1:10.61. She paid $2.40 to win.
Mo' Em Down was second, with Thank You India finishing third.
"She broke just a bit slow, and I saw that outside filly (My Kat) going fast, so I didn't want to have to start chasing," winning jockey Juan Hernandez said. "I sent my filly up between horses, and she was comfortable with it. There was space there, and it worked out fine. At the 5/8ths (pole), she wanted to go, but I got her to wait. She took care of business in the stretch."
My Kat set the early fractions going in :22.11, :45.40, and :57.64 before fading to fourth.
"You always worry about the one hole," Baffert said of Himika's post position. "I think it was 0-for-18 going six (furlongs) until Balboa (race 1 winner) today. He had a hold of her since she stumbled there, and she got behind a little bit. She's young, second out and all, but Juan rode her with a lot of confidence. He put her in the right spot, and he had a lot of horse the whole way. When she got to the quarter pole, I felt pretty good about it."
Himika came into the race off a six-length maiden win at Santa Anita Park June 12. The juvenile filly is now 2-for-2, with earnings of $126,000.
READ: $900K Curlin Filly Trounces Rivals in Santa Anita Debut
Himika was a $900,000 purchase at this year's Ocala Breeders' Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training where Donato Lanni, agent for Baoma Corp., picked her up from the de Meric Sales consignment. Himika turned heads after breezing a furlong in :09 4/5.
She was bred in Kentucky by Klaravich Stables and is out of the stakes-placed Into Mischief mare Motivated Seller, who set a track record at Saratoga Race Course in 2021 after blazing 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:02.48.
