Usha Graduates Tiz The Law as a Grade 1 Sire in the La Brea

On December 28, 2025, on the opening day of Santa Anita Park’s winter meet, the atmosphere in Arcadia, California, was different. For the first time since the 1950s, the California racetrack did not open its season on December 26, as heavy rainfall forced the postponement of the opening to Sunday the 28th. The new date generated controversy on social media because it coincided with NFL games. However, the public responded, and the track welcomed a strong crowd despite competing with the most popular sport in the country. That afternoon, California racing once again showed its best version, with the Malibu Stakes (G1) and the La Brea Stakes (G1) being contested, both for the 2022 crop, along with several runners trained by Bob Baffert who played leading roles throughout the day.

Usha (Tiz The Law) wins her first Grade 1 in the La Brea at Santa Anita Park.

Within the context of the opening day, the La Brea Stakes, a 7-furlong race on dirt for three-year-old fillies, was not the strongest Grade 1 on the calendar, but it was certainly an appealing contest. The presence of Bob Baffert with four runners added stature to what otherwise would have been a modest field. The California-based trainer, long a symbol of West Coast racing, used his fillies to sustain the competitive level of the circuit; without his participation, the race would have lacked depth. Even so, the public knew the filly to watch was Usha, a daughter of Tiz the Law trained by Baffert, who had already shown flashes of talent at Del Mar and was returning to the West Coast after a disappointing trip to Kentucky.

Usha is owned by a partnership formed by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, longtime associates of Baffert and owners of several top-level runners. The filly took time to fulfill expectations, requiring five starts to break her maiden. After finishing second and third on multiple occasions, she finally put everything together at Del Mar in August, winning decisively and turning early frustration into optimism. Two weeks later, she captured a $50,000 Optional Claiming race by 5¼ lengths, again at Del Mar. Those performances established her as one of California’s leading fillies, but her trip to Keeneland in October for the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes proved disastrous: she became unsettled in the paddock and never got involved, finishing seventh, more than ten lengths behind the winner, Kappa Kappa (Omaha Beach).

Baffert later explained that the trip to Kentucky unsettled her: “She lost her composure in the Keeneland paddock and we couldn’t get her relaxed. When she came back to California and settled down, I knew we had to give her another chance.” On December 28 at Santa Anita, Usha repaid that confidence with a commanding performance.

The La Brea Stakes (G1) unfolded as a more tactical race than an outright speed contest. Stablemate Silent Law set the pace with fractions of 21.85 seconds for the opening quarter and 44.43 for the half-mile. Baffert saddled four fillies and aimed to apply pressure throughout to set the race up for Usha. The betting favorite was Formula Rossa, while Usha went off as the third choice at 5.60-1. After breaking cleanly, she settled in sixth without expending energy. Entering the far turn, jockey Juan Hernández spotted an opening between Artisma and Silent Law and took it without hesitation, seizing the lead before straightening for home.

From there, the race became one-sided. Usha widened her advantage with every stride and crossed the wire 5¼ lengths clear of Formula Rossa, stopping the clock in 1:21.68. The final fractions were emphatic: 1:09.38 for six furlongs, followed by a strong finishing kick that underscored her superiority. Simply Joking (Practical Joke) finished third, while another Baffert trainee, Silent Law, checked in fourth.

Juan Hernández summarized the race simply: “Early on it got a bit tight and I had to find room. She can get a little nervous sometimes, but today she stayed calm thanks to the work the team did in the paddock.” Baffert, meanwhile, expressed satisfaction with earning his tenth La Brea victory: “She showed the class we always believed she had. We thought she was going to win at Keeneland and it didn’t happen, so today she redeemed herself.”

Usha’s victory was not only decisive, it also marked a milestone for her sire, Tiz the Law, who earned his first Grade 1 winner as a stallion. The 2020 Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes champion, retired by Coolmore after an outstanding racing career for Sackatoga Stable, had seen his early crops perform well, but none had previously captured a Grade 1. Usha’s success represents a major boost for the son of Constitution, who will stand the 2026 breeding season at Ashford Stud for a listed fee of $40,000, up $10,000 from the previous year.

Beyond Usha, Tiz the Law’s early runners include Tiztastic, winner of the Louisiana Derby and tenth in the Kentucky Derby, as well as Buetane and Curtain Call, who finished second and third behind Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. While those offspring had shown promise, none had yet reached the top level. Usha’s victory positions Tiz the Law as a stallion to watch, especially given his pedigree blending the stamina of Seattle Slew through Constitution and the speed influence of Tiznow.

The 2025 winter meeting at Santa Anita traditionally begins on December 26, a custom dating back to 1934. However, that tradition was broken this year. Weather forecasts predicted heavy rainfall, an “atmospheric river”, prompting officials to postpone opening day by two days to protect the racing surface. The decision sparked debate on social media, as it placed the opening card in direct competition with the NFL. Ultimately, attendance proved solid, and the crowd responded enthusiastically, enjoying a safe and successful opening day.

Despite its Grade 1 status, the 2025 La Brea was not considered a classic renewal of the race. The Southern California calendar has thinned in recent years due to competition from Midwestern circuits and a shrinking local breeding base, often resulting in smaller, uneven fields. In this edition, the lineup lacked proven top-level winners, and Baffert’s quartet, Usha, Silent Law, Brilliantly and Formula Rossa, provided much of the depth. Still, the race delivered intrigue and served as an important measuring stick for the fillies’ future.

Historically, the La Brea has launched the careers of elite runners, the latter later becoming a champion sprinter. Whether Usha can follow that path remains to be seen. Her future will depend on how she handles tougher competition and longer campaigns, especially given her previous nervousness away from home.

Usha’s commercial story is also remarkable. She was purchased for just $30,000 at the 2023 Saratoga Yearling Sale. Less than eight months later, she brought $600,000 at the OBS April Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, ranking among the sale’s top-priced offerings. That twentyfold increase reflected strong physical development, an eye-catching breeze, and buyer confidence in her upside.

Usha was bred in New York by Esler & Raine and is out of Animal Appeal, a 2012 chestnut mare by Brazilian champion Leroidesanimaux. Animal Appeal won four races, earned $220,298, and placed in multiple stakes. She descends from the family of Chatique, a turf stakes winner, and of Ableton, a notable California sprinter. Animal Appeal was later sold at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale for just $9,000 while in foal to Solomini, a price that now appears extraordinarily low given her status as the dam of a Grade 1 winner.

The third generation of Usha’s pedigree adds further depth. Leroidesanimaux, her maternal grandsire, was a champion in Brazil and a multiple Grade 1 winner in the United States, including the Citation Handicap. He is also the sire of Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom. This influence contributes stamina and class, complementing the speed inherited from Tiz the Law. Together, they form a balanced genetic profile ideally suited for elite American racing.

Bob Baffert’s presence at Santa Anita continues to shape the local racing scene. After years of controversy and suspensions related to medication violations, his return has once again made him the central figure in California racing. His horses account for a large portion of graded stakes runners, a dominance that fuels both admiration and criticism. In the 2025 La Brea, four of the eight runners were from his barn, and he also captured the Malibu Stakes (G1) with Goal Oriented (Not This Time), underscoring his ongoing influence.

Looking ahead, Usha’s immediate future will remain in California. Baffert has indicated that her campaign will be carefully managed, with potential targets including the Santa Ynez Stakes (G2) or the Las Virgenes Stakes (G3) before stepping up against older fillies later in the year. The ultimate goal is the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in October 2026 at Keeneland. With three wins from eight starts and a developing racing style, Usha has the tools to compete at the highest level.

The victory in the La Brea Stakes not only elevated Usha’s profile but also reinforced the vitality of California racing at a time when the region faces structural challenges. It confirmed Tiz the Law’s emergence as a significant sire, showcased the value hidden in underappreciated broodmares, and reaffirmed that, when conditions align, Santa Anita can still produce performances of national relevance.