Magnificence is just that in Santa Paula

Rags to Riches, who is headed to the Kentucky Oaks on May 4 at Churchill Downs, isn’t the only high quality 3-year-old filly residing in Southern California.

Three weeks removed from a scintillating maiden victory in her career debut, Magnificence became a graded stakes winner Sunday, winning the $100,597 Santa Paula by five lengths at Santa Anita.

Much more professional leaving the gate in the Grade III than she was in her initial win, when she broke well behind her six opponents, Magnificence, the 7-10 favorite, stayed close to pacesetter and second choice Coco Belle for most of the trip, then assumed command in the final eighth of a mile under jockey Alex Solis.

Owned by trainer Bruce Headley, Tom Lenner, Irwin Molasky and John Sikura, the daughter of Stormy Atlantic ran the 6 1/2 furlongs in a stakes record 1:14.61, breaking the mark of 1:15.02 set by Sardula in 1994.

Not long after her Santa Paula victory, Sardula, who was owned by Jerry and Ann Moss and trained by the late Brian Mayberry, captured the Kentucky Oaks under jockey Eddie Delahoussaye.

Headley, who was listed as the filly’s lone owner when she ran the first time, believes the best is yet to come for the $120,000 yearling purchase.

“Her forte is a distance,” he said. “She’s sprinting well just because she is a runner. When she starts going around two turns, you will really see something.

“I didn’t expect her to be as close up as she was today, but she is so talented she put herself right there. It was just a hand ride.”

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Young apprentice jockey Joe Talamo has reversed course and will make California his home base instead of New York. Talamo revealed the change of plans to Peter Lurie during an interview on HorseRacing Television on Sunday morning.

Talamo, 17, who was supposed to ride locally for only four days, will honor his commitments in New York during the coming week, but afterward will return to finish out the Santa Anita meet, which concludes April 22. Talamo will then move on to Hollywood Park, which begins three days later.

Talamo, a Louisiana native who was the leading rider at the recently concluded meet at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, has had four winners during his stay in California that began Thursday.

“We’ll be back within 10 days,” said Talamo’s agent, Ron Ebanks. “We’re going to map out a plan.”

bob.mieszerski@latimes.com