Tenma Launches 3-Year-Old Campaign in Las Virgenes

Charles and Susan Chu have owned a number of top-class fillies in the last decade, among them grade 1 winners Bast  and Eda , but they have never had a contender in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Tenma , racing under the Chu's Baoma banner, gives the couple a chance at possible Oaks glory in May when she enters the starting gate for the Feb. 2 Las Virgenes Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park.

The $100,000 Las Virgenes is one of Santa Anita's local preps for the April 5 Santa Anita Oaks (G2), a race that awards 100 Road to the Kentucky Oaks points to its winner. Contested over one mile for sophomore fillies, the Las Virgenes offers Oaks points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale.

Tenma arrives Saturday with 13 Oaks points to her credit, courtesy of a last-out victory in the Dec. 7 Starlet Stakes (G2) at Los Alamitos Race Course and a third-place effort in the Oak Leaf Stakes (G2). The $850,000 daughter of Nyquist   proved precocious from the start for trainer Bob Baffert, capturing her first two outings in come-from-behind fashion. One of those wins included a game nose score in the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1).

"She didn't run well here in the Oak Leaf, which is why I didn't run her in the Breeders' Cup," Baffert told Santa Anita publicity. "But she came back with a nice effort in the Starlet. She seems to be doing well and we'll see what happens."

Juan Hernandez retains the mount on Tenma from post 4. As the only stakes winner in the Las Virgenes, Tenma will tote 124 pounds, giving 4 pounds to the rest of the field.

Baffert also starts Cipriani , a daughter of Bernardini who sold for $875,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training last year. Cipriani, an 8-1 shot on the morning line, is unraced since an 8 1/4-length debut win sprinting at Santa Anita Oct. 27.

"She's still green," Baffert said. "I didn't want to run her in another short race. She wants to go two turns. But she's a big, immature filly who will get better with racing."

Martin Garcia rides.

Leading the opposition are Just as Fancy  for trainer Michael McCarthy and Our Moonlight  for trainer Dean Pederson. Just as Fancy, a daughter of Volatile  , graduated from the maiden ranks in her third career start with a stretch out to a mile at Santa Anita Jan. 3. Our Moonlight, by Tapit  , was a debut winner going six furlongs Dec. 27 at Santa Anita.