Half to Golden Pal Breaks Her Maiden at Santa Anita

This column highlights the performances of 3-year-old maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are graded/group winners, or have dams that are graded/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners, in particular, who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners.

This week's maiden watch focuses on Essential Lady , a half sister to multiple grade 1-winning turf sprinter Golden Pal   who broke her maiden Feb. 21 at Santa Anita Park. 

The 3-year-old daughter of Essential Quality   won the mile turf maiden special weight in her fourth career start. She broke cleanly under jockey Mirco Demuro, and raced just off the pacesetter, pressing from the outside through splits of :23.02 and :46.74. She came even with the leader at the five-sixteenths pole and turned into the stretch clear of her competition. She remained unchallenged until the final sixteenth when Darya  made a late charge, but Essential Lady was able to hold her off to get the victory in a final time of 1:35.63. She was an upset winner at odds of nearly 32-1 and paid $65.80 for the win. Essential Lady earned a 90 Equibase Speed Figure and a 65 Beyer Speed Figure. 

Essential Lady is by Darley's two-time Eclipse Award winner Essential Quality  . She is out of the Midshipman   mare Lady Shipman . Lady Shipman was the winner of the 2016 Royal North Stakes (G3T) at Woodbine and was second in the 2015 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T), a race her son Golden Pal won in 2021 at Del Mar. The Uncle Mo colt also won the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T) at Keeneland Race Course. In his 13-race career, he won eight times, with earnings of $1,825,131. 

Essential Lady is trained by Tim Yakteen for owner/breeder Ranlo Investments (Randall E. Lowe). 

Video: Santa Anita Park, Race 10, MSW

Grade 2-placed Blacksmith breaks his maiden

The day prior, Blacksmith , who was second in the 2025 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) behind Litmus Test , broke his maiden. 

Blacksmith, under jockey Florent Geroux, broke cleanly and pressed pacesetter Authentic Patriot , who set fractions of :22.99, :26.77, and 1:10.99. Blacksmith continued to stalk closely and challenged the leader on the outside around the far turn. They turned into the stretch head and head, and as the field hit the eighth pole, Blacksmith drew away from his competition. He won the mile dirt race by 3 3/4 lengths on the wire, with a final time of 1:37.54. Going off the post-time favorite, he paid $3.20 for the win. He earned a 100 ESF and an 82 Beyer Speed Figure. 

Blacksmith, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and owned by Wathnan Racing, was purchased at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Case Clay Thoroughbred Management for $525,000. He is by Liam's Map   and is out of the unraced Curlin   dam, Sweet Achiever , who is a full sister to grade 2 winner Cezanne  and a half sister to grade 3 winner Arabian Hope .

Blacksmith earned the maiden victory in the fifth start of his career. He was 1 1/4 lengths behind Litmus Test in the Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 13 at Los Alamitos Race Course. 

Video: Santa Anita Park, Race 3, MSW