The Santa Ynez Stakes, a new race for 3-year-old fillies, will headline a nine-race card on Saturday at Santa Anita. This seven-furlong race marks the beginning of the path to the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 4 and offers qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs this spring.
Among the favorites are Explorer, from trainer Bob Baffert, along with two other horses he entered. Explorer has been moved back to sprinting and lowered in class after placing second in the 1 1/16 mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar on October 31. Baffert also entered G3 winner Himika (5-2), who recently came second in the seven-furlong Desi Arnaz at Del Mar on November 16. Toaster (10-1), a McKinzie filly, earned her first win on December 12 at Los Alamitos in a six-and-a-half furlong sprint.
Baffert’s main competition includes La Walley (6-1) and Revera (10-1). La Walley, trained by Mark Glatt and also a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies runner, set the early pace in her last race but faded to finish eighth out of nine. Glatt noted that the race effort was a bit more than expected and they plan to adjust tactics for Saturday.
Before the Breeders’ Cup, La Walley finished second to Explorer in the G2 Oakleaf Stakes at Santa Anita on October 4. She previously won her five-furlong debut at Del Mar in July and placed third in the seven-furlong G1 Del Mar Debutante. Glatt feels the breaks between races suit her well. With Humberto Rispoli riding for the first time and an outside post, she’s expected to manage the race pace well.
Revera, trained by John Sadler, recently beat Himika by three-quarters of a length in the Desi Arnaz and has four top-two finishes in four starts. Bought for $85,000 at last year’s OBS sale, Sadler describes her as a tough competitor who has faced strong challenges each race, but he’s unhappy with her post position draw.
Rebela, consistently near the early lead in previous starts, will break from the first post with new jockey Hector Berrios replacing the injured Antonio Fres.
The Santa Ynez Stakes will be the eighth race at 3:43 pm PT with the post positions set as follows: Leveler with Hector Berrios (10-1), Explorer with Juan Hernandez (1-2), Himika with Kazushi Kimura (5-2), Toaster with Mike Smith (10-1), and La Walley with Humberto Rispoli (6-1).
Fan Take: This race is crucial for horse racing fans as it highlights emerging star fillies and sets the stage for the prestigious Santa Anita Oaks and Kentucky Oaks. It showcases the intense competition and strategic training that shape the future champions of the sport, keeping the excitement alive for racing enthusiasts everywhere.
