Tenma aims for third stakes win in Las Virgenes

Jan 29, 2025 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Except for a one-race experiment wearing blinkers which didn't pan out, Tenma has been the pre-eminent figure among the three-year-old fillies based in Southern California. She will look to continue that trend against a small field in the $100,000 Las Virgenes (G3) at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Contested over one mile, the Las Virgenes is a Road to the Kentucky Oaks series prep. If all five fillies start and finish, each will earn qualifying points toward the Churchill Downs fixture in May. The points breakdown is 20-10-6-4-2, respectively.

A photo-finish winner of her first two starts at Del Mar, including the Del Mar Debutante (G1), Tenma earned her first Oaks points in her only loss to date in the Oak Leaf (G2). It was a nondescript effort, though, as she finished 10 lengths behind stablemate Non Compliant.

The blinkers came off for her next start, in the Starlet (G2) at Los Alamitos, and Tenma responded positively with a wire-to-wire, 1 3/4-length decision.

Tenma has earned 13 points toward the Oaks, while fellow Bob Baffert trainee Cipriani will be looking her first in the Las Virgenes. Cipriani made her lone previous start in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden at Santa Anita in late October, and the daughter of Bernardini won for fun by 8 1/4 lengths.

Two other last-out maiden winners are in the Las Virgenes cast. Our Moonlight, a daughter of Tapit, won at first asking going six furlongs on Dec. 26, while Just as Fancy graduated third time out in early January when stretched out to a mile for the first time.

Lolo Le Plume, stakes-placed at Pleasanton two starts back, enters the Las Virgenes winless in five attempts.

The scheduled post time for the Las Virgenes is 4 p.m. ET. It can be watched and wagered on at TwinSpires.com.