(Splendora captures G2 Locust Grove Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday / All Photos by Coady Media)

From the Churchill Downs Media Team / Darren Rogers:

SPLENDORA EASILY WINS FIFTH STAKES OF 2026 WITH LOCUST GROVE GALLOP

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026) – Splendora, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (Grade I) winner, continued her steady campaign around two turns with a comfortable wire-to-wire victory in Saturday’s 42ndrunning of the $326,000 Fasig-Tipton Locust Grove (GII) for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs.

          Ridden by Flavien Prat and trained by Bob Baffert, Splendora ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:43.30 with her ears perked throughout after setting unpressured fractions of :24.28, :47.86 and 1:11.84 to defeat Yes It Tizby 5 ¼ lengths. Immersive, the Champion 2-Year-Old Filly of 2024, was third and Chilled was a distant last in a field reduced to four after Miss Authentic and Simply Joking were scratched.

The victory was worth $186,000 to Splendora and increased her earnings to $1,843,700 with a record of 10-4-0 from 16 starts for owners Boyd Racing LLC (Randy Boyd) and By Talla Racing LLC (Michael Talla).

This was the seventh stakes win of her career, and fifth in a six-race campaign this year. Her other 2026 victories came in the $200,000 D. Wayne Lukas (GII) and $300,000 Beholder Mile (GI) at Santa Anita; $300,000 Shawnee (GII) at Churchill Downs; and $500,000 Molly Pitcher (GII) at Monmouth Park. Her lone defeat came in the $1 million Derby City Distaff (GI) when she was fourth.

Splendora, a 5-year-old Maryland-bred daughter of 2020 Kentucky Derby winner Audible out of the Frost Giant mare Miss Freeze, returned $2.40 and $2.10. Yes It Tiz, ridden by Jose Ortiz, paid $2.84. There was no Show wagering.

Splendora was bred by The Elkstone Group LLC.

The Locust Grove is named after the 1790 Georgian mansion in Louisville that played home to ancestors of Churchill Downs founder Col. M. Lewis Clark.

LOCUST GROVE QUOTES

Flavien Prat, jockey, Splendora, winner: “She was very impressive again today. She broke well and traveled easily on the lead and showed her class once again.”

Randy Boyd, co-owner, Splendora, winner: “We’re very thankful for Mike Talla for allowing us to buy into her. He’s a great friend and we’re enjoying sharing this success with him. We wanted to have a small but quality broodmare band. We have a couple of great horses now between Vahva and Seismic Beauty. Splendora will probably be joining them sometime in the near future. We hope now she can take us to the Breeders’ Cup.”