Grade I-Placed Thought Process Returns
At 11h23, on February 26, 2026 • By Santa Anita Park
Multiple graded stakes winner Thought Process makes her 4-year-old debut and top California-bred mare Grand Slam Smile steps up in class Saturday in the Grade II, $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes for older fillies and mares going one mile on turf at Santa Anita.
Thought Process, trained by Phil D’Amato, hasn’t started since August when finishing third in the GI Del Mar Oaks. Her record of 8: 5-0-2 includes wins in last year’s GII San Clemente at Del Mar and, as a 2-year-old, both the GIII Surfer Girl at Santa Anita and Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf. A 4-year-old filly by Collected, Thought Process has earned $380,200 for owners The Estate of Brereton C. Jones, Little Red Feather Racing and Madaket Stables. She’ll have jockey Hector Berrios aboard.
The ultra-consistent Grand Slam Smile will be seeking her first graded stakes win. In her most recent start, Grand Slam Smile collected her eighth stakes win in the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint on the hillside turf course. She is trained by Sean McCarthy and sports a record of 17: 10-6-1 with $828,120 in earnings for owners-breeders Larry and Marianne Williams. Grand Slam Smile will be ridden by Kazushi Kimura for the first time.
The other key principles are Princesa Moche and Vibez, who were separated by just a neck when running one-two in the GIII Megahertz at a mile on turf Jan. 31 at Santa Anita.
