There is a quiet confidence around Barn 5 this week — the kind that grows when a filly like Himika starts to figure herself out. After a sharp return to form in the Anoakia Stakes, the talented chestnut now carries both momentum and expectation into Saturday’s Desi Arnaz Stakes, a race that could signal how far her juvenile season might go.
Trainer Bob Baffert has seen her brilliance up close. So has jockey Juan Hernandez, who hasn’t been beaten aboard her when she fires. But at Del Mar, in a compact field filled with ambition, nothing comes easy — especially for a young filly still defining her ceiling.
Himika Returns to Del Mar With a Point to Prove
Himika’s journey has been a quick, colourful one. She burst onto the scene in June, winning her five-furlong debut by six emphatic lengths. Two starts later, she was a Grade III winner, taking the Sorrento Stakes with authority.
The step up to seven furlongs in the Del Mar Debutante proved a touch too much too soon, but she bounced back at Santa Anita on October 19, powering home in the Anoakia Stakes by 4ÂĽ lengths. That victory puts her squarely among the leading contenders for the Desi Arnaz Stakes, and her 5-3-0-0 record with $202,822 in earnings underlines her reliability.
Her challengers, however, have not come to make up the numbers.
Revera Plots Revenge, Stuffy Mist Seeks a Breakthrough
Revera, trained by John Sadler and ridden by Antonio Fresu, has been steadily improving and is the most obvious threat. She chased Himika home in the Anoakia Stakes and previously crushed maiden company at Del Mar by 5½ lengths. With a 3-1-2-0 record and room for further development, she has every right to believe the turnaround could come on Saturday.
Stuffy Mist, third in the Anoakia, also returns — a willing type who has yet to show her best. Bourbon and Ginger (Mirco Demuro), Cosmic Heat (Hector I. Berrios), and Heaven’s Bolt (Kazushi Kimura) complete a six-runner lineup that blends speed, potential and a dash of uncertainty.
The Desi Arnaz Stakes is the third race on a nine-race Saturday card, with first post at 12:30 PM and an expected post time of 1:30 PM PT.
Finish Order (Projected Contenders Spotlight)
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Himika – In form, class edge, proven at Del Mar
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Revera – Strong pursuer, improving type
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Stuffy Mist – Needs to step forward but consistent
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Bourbon and Ginger – Interesting outsider
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Cosmic Heat – Capable on best day
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Heaven’s Bolt – Untested but talented
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