The Eddie Woods Training Program got its newest graded stakes winner of the year Saturday at Santa Anita Park when Liguria rallied up the rail to win the Buena Vista S. (G2) by a head over Tirupati.

The 5-year-old mare, who won the Jimmy Durante S. (G3) as a 2-year-old, now has an overall record of 4-1-1 in 10 starts and has earned $374,200.

After missing all of 2024, Liguria made her first start this year in the Megahertz S. (G3) on Feb. 1, and made a good account of herself with a third-place finish.

In the one-mile Buena Vista, Omaha Girl sprinted to the front and opened up an eight-length lead on the backstretch, with Liguria some 14 lengths from the frontrunner. The field began to bunch up on the final bend, but Liguria was still last entering the stretch. She threaded her way between horses, then dove to the inside to pass Tirupati in the final furlong and stop the timer in 1:34.31 on a firm turf course.

"I thought her first race back was very good, maybe a touch further back than I would have liked," trainer Mike McCarthy said. "It turned out it was basically the same thing today. Flavien [Prat] was able to find a seam at the rail and get the job done.

“She is a quality filly,” McCarthy added. “Her resume spoke volumes when she came here. I'm just glad we were able to get her in form and hopefully keep her there for a while."

Liguria is owned by Alpha Delta Stables LLC and was bred in Kentucky by Tada Nobutaka. She is out of Lerici and is a full sister to dual Grade 1 winner Avenge and graded stakes-placed Pistoletto, and a half-sister to dual stakes winner Lira.