By Bloodhorse.com
DEL MAR, Calif. (Aug. 30, 2025) — After going winless in her first seven starts, Om N Joy has gone nuts.
The cleverly named California-bred 3-year-old daughter of Om notched her fifth straight victory Aug. 30 in capturing the $151,000 Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) by a half-length on Pacific Classic day at Del Mar. The win marked her first at the graded stakes level and was her fourth against stakes foes after three black-type victories against state-breds.
Though Om N Joy took a class hike Saturday to race in the Torrey Pines, she showed she belonged, rallying from sixth to surge past longshot pacesetter So There She Was and heavily favored Tenma. The winner completed a mile on a fast main track in 1:36.99 under Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, returning $10 to win.
Desormeaux noted the maturity shown by the sophomore filly.
“She exploded,” he said. “She gave me so much confidence. She went to the post like a 9-year-old mare. And she had no problem taking the dirt in her face. Last time she was totally on the bit and I couldn’t keep her off the lead. Today, her demeanor was so much different and I give all the credit to the trainer. I thought the pace today was honest. I just was able to tuck in behind horses and cut the corners. In the stretch, I knew I was going to catch the leader.”
So There She Was, who set splits of :22.97, :47.13, 1:11.66, and 1:24.30, held second, while grade 1 winner Tenma checked in a lackluster third in her return from a fourth-place finish in the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Aggie Ordonez trains Om N Joy for owner/breeders Jerry and Connie Baker, who campaign her with co-owners Michael Golovko and Terrence Scanlan. Om N Joy is now 5-0-4 in 12 starts with earnings of $401,140.
“I should know better than to worry about a thing with Kent (Desormeaux) aboard,” said Ordonez. “She looked comfortable and started inching up on them and I knew she hadn’t laid it down yet. When she drops that head and reaches, she just motors. It’s really a beautiful thing to see. Some girls like diamonds, some girl like jewels. I like that kind of stride on a big red mare.”
The chestnut filly is one of four winners from as many starters from the winning Hard Spun mare Margie’s Minute, whom the Bakers also campaigned with other partners.
Third-crop sire Om was the 10th-leading sire in California in 2025 through Aug. 29. The 13-year-old son of Munnings stood this past breeding season at Harris Farms for $5,000.