Ambaya seized her opportunity and delivered a breakthrough performance to claim the American Oaks

With a last-minute rider change and a flawless, composed ride, the Ghostzapper filly delivered the defining performance of her career, earning her first Grade I victory at Santa Anita

Ambaya was another of the standout performers on Santa Anita Park’s opening day / BENOIT PHOTO

ARCADIA, California (Special to Turf Diario).— Sometimes racing writes stories that feel scripted. Ambaya found hers on Sunday, when a last-minute rider change proved decisive and the filly captured the American Oaks, contested over 2000 meters on the turf at Santa Anita Park.

Japanese jockey Kazushi Kimura picked up the mount almost on the spot following Antonio Fresu’s injury and received a true crash course from trainer Jonathan Thomas. “I showed him replays, talked with him for five minutes and told him the filly was training fantastic. If he got the right trip, she could win,” Thomas said. Kimura didn’t just get the message—he executed it to perfection.

In the race, Ribbons (Liam’s Map) set comfortable fractions, with the favorite Cliffs (Omaha Beach) tracking closely. Kimura had Ambaya fifth, well placed and relaxed, biding her time. Turning for home, the Ghostzapper filly had to thread her way between rivals, answered gamely, and once clear surged to the front to score by a half-length in 2:01.02. Stablemate Will Then (War of Will) finished third, a neck back, capping a strong team effort.

“She broke really well, which made everything easier,” Kimura explained. “I didn’t have to rush her or fight her. When Flavien [Prat] angled out with Will Then, a seam opened and she responded.”

For Thomas, the win carried added meaning, marking his first Grade I winner for Augustin Stable—owned by Augustin Stables and George Strawbridge Jr., who also bred the filly. Ambaya entered the Oaks with just a maiden victory and a third in the Christiana Stakes (L), but her trainer insisted the progress was steady. “She’s a lovely-moving filly, well bred, and she’s improved step by step. She’d had some tough luck, but today she showed what we’ve been seeing in the mornings,” Thomas noted.

By Ghostzapper—one of the most influential stallions of recent decades—and out of Kundray (Distorted Humor), herself trained by Thomas, Ambaya joined the select list of her sire’s top-level winners, closing the year’s major events with a performance that was as timely as it was deserved.

At Santa Anita, Ambaya seized her chance—and with a cool, precise ride, turned an unexpected opportunity into a Grade I coronation.