Usha

Usha was purchased as a 2-year-old for $600,000 in April 2024 by the ownership group of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Doug Weitman and sent to their preferred trainer Bob Baffert to start her racing career that summer. She finished third in her first three starts, all at Del Mar, and then second when shipped to New York and briefly switched to trainer John Terranova, ending her juvenile campaign still a maiden.

The Tiz the Law filly did not make her 3-year-old debut until July 27, 2025, back at Del Mar with Baffert, and she immediately showed signs of maturing into a stakes-caliber racehorse by posting an 11 ½-lengt win in a 6 ½-furlong dirt spring. Usha followed that up with another blowout win in an allowance race at the same distance, which led her connections to ship her to Keeneland for her stakes debut in the Grade 2 Lexus Raven Run Stakes held at seven furlongs that fall.

Usha dueled for the early lead in the Raven Run but faded to finish seventh of 10 fillies. She then returned to California for a final 2025 start in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes Presented by Don Julio and promptly unleashed a career-best performance, settling off the early pace and taking over at will in early stretch to win the seven-furlong La Brea by a widening 5 ¼ lengths.

New York-bred Usha is out of the winning and stakes-placed Leroidesanimaux mare Animal Appeal.