BOB Baffert’s dual Grade 1 winner Splendora bounced back from a disappointing effort in last month’s Distaff Stakes to justifying 7/5 favouritism in Saturday’s Grade 2 Shawnee Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Flavien Prat rode the Audible mare to track fellow Grade 1 winner Gin Gin for much of the extended mile and asserted a furlong and a half from home.

Soon in command, she strode on to score by two and three-quarter lengths from Brad Cox and Godolphin’s top-class juvenile Immersive, who is now a four-year-old.

Owned by Randy Boyd’s Boyd Racing LLC with By Talla Racing LLC, Splendora has now accumulated $1,357,700 in earnings. The five-year-old had recorded five consecutive wins from last July to this March, before her winning streak ended last month.

Last to first

Meanwhile, over at Santa Anita, the Aggie Ordonez-trained four-year-old Om N Joy was another who bounced back to form to land a Grade 2 at odds of 8/1.

While not at Splendora’s level - she finished 13 lengths third to Baffert’s mare in the Beholder Mile - she also completed a five-timer last year, featuring a Grade 3 and another three blacktype stakes.

Last of seven last time out at Saturday’s track, the chesnut stepped up to nine furlongs for the first time in the Santa Margarita Stakes against a trio that included Clement L Hirsch Stakes winner Seismic Beauty (11/10 favourite).

Kent Desormeaux settled Om N Joy at the back of the field and began to make headway on the far turn, with his bid going awry when losing his whip early in the straight. However, his mount only needed hands and heels of encouragement to reel in the leader Simply Joking and went on to score by three and three-quarter lengths.

Ordonez later reported he is targeting Om N Joy at the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsh Stakes at Del Mar on August 1st. The mare’s earnings currently stand at $616,703 for breeders Jerry Baker and Connie Baker, who own her in partnership with Michael Golovko and Terrence J. Scanlan.