Liguria Edges Tirupati, Rashmi to Capture Buena Vista

Liguria  is building her résumé with the help of two outstanding trainers. Chad Brown oversaw the daughter of War Front   through her first two seasons. In her second start for Michael McCarthy, Liguria proved a head winner of the March 1 Buena Vista Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita Park.

After meeting most of her Buena Vista competition when third in the Feb. 1 Megahertz Stakes (G3T), Liguria reunited with jockey Flavien Prat for Saturday's one-mile turf takes. Bettors made her the 9-2 fourth choice against even-money Rashmi , the Megahertz winner.

When the starting gate opened, longshot Omaha Girl  sped to the front, as she had done in the Megahertz. She set similar fractions, getting the first quarter-mile in :22.50 and the half in :45.37. But this time Omaha Girl put even more distance on the field, at one point leading by eight lengths, with Liguria in last, 12 1/2 lengths back.

Prat said after the race that he would have preferred to have been a little closer early.

"I felt like the pace was pretty strong, and she was struggling, but I was able to save every turn," Prat said. "I was able to stay on the rail and save ground."

The field started to get to Omaha Girl in the second turn, with Tirupati  the first to pass her on the outside. Liguria was also on the move, and Prat found room on the rail into the stretch. They challenged Tirupati from the inside while Rashmi was closing on the outside. The three reached the wire together, but Liguria surged forward to score by a head over Tirupati. Rashmi was a neck back in third.

Liguria completed the mile in 1:34.31 with a final quarter-mile in :23.38, according to Equibase GPS data.

"She made an amazing run at the end," Prat said.

Jon Clay owns 5-year-old Liguria in the name of his Alpha Delta Stables. 

"She is just so professional in everything she does," McCarthy said. "She never gets too wound up. I was a little bit worried with it the second race off an extended layoff—maybe there was a little bounce in there—but she was great."

McCarthy said he has had a couple of runners for Clay in the past, including Rideforthecause , who won the 2021 Possibly Perfect Stakes at Santa Anita.

When trained by Brown, Liguria captured the 2022 Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3T) at Del Mar and the 2023 Wild Applause Stakes at Belmont Park. Prat rode her four times for Brown, including in the Durante. After Liguria finished sixth in the 2023 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland, she was away from the races for more than 16 months until the Megahertz.

Bred by Tada Nobutaka in Kentucky from the Woodman mare Lerici, Liguria went through the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale as part of the Gainesway consignment. She sold to bloodstock agent Steve Young for $275,000. Liguria is a full sister to 2017 Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T) winner Avenge  and a half sister to stakes winner Lira .

Liguria is one of two 2025 graded stakes winners for War Front, both winning March 1. Fort Washington  won the Canadian Turf Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park shortly after the Buena Vista. Other current runners for he stallion include 2023 Twilight Derby (G2T) winner Seal Team , this year already second in the Thunder Road Stakes (G3T). War Front stands for a $75,000 fee at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Ky.