Explora, runner-up as the favorite in the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del Mar, kicks off her 3-year-old campaign Jan. 3 in the $100,000 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
The 7-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies, which distributes qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale toward the May 1 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs, drew a field of five, including La Wally, eighth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). The Mark Glatt-trained La Wally, who adds blinkers, was also runner-up to Explora in the Oak Leaf Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita a start before the Breeders' Cup.
Three of the five Santa Ynez participants are trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert: Explora, stakes winner Himika, and debut maiden winner Toaster. The three Baffert trainees are pegged at morning-line odds of 1-2, 5-2, and 10-1. The two other starters, La Wally, and the John Sadler-trained Revera, are respectively 6-1 and 10-1.
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Explora, a dark bay or brown daughter of Blame owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, is by far the most accomplished Santa Ynez entrant. Besides her runner-up finish in the Breeders' Cup and her win in the Oak Leaf, she also won a maiden race and was runner-up in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) last year. She currently has 25 qualifying points toward the Oaks, placing her in second on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard behind Juvenile Fillies winner Super Corredora with 30.
Rain, which caused Santa Anita to cancel racing Dec. 31 - Jan. 1, is forecast to continue this weekend and could impact racing or track conditions.
Entries: Santa Ynez S.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, January 3, 2026, Race 8
- STK
- 7f
- Dirt
- $100,000
- 3 yo Fillies
- 3:37 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Revera (KY) | Hector Isaac Berrios | 122 | John W. Sadler | 10/1 |
| 2 | 2Explora (KY) | Juan J. Hernandez | 124 | Bob Baffert | 1/2 |
| 3 | 3Himika (KY) | Kazushi Kimura | 124 | Bob Baffert | 5/2 |
| 4 | 4Toaster (KY) | Mike E. Smith | 120 | Bob Baffert | 10/1 |
| 5 | 5La Wally (KY) | Umberto Rispoli | 120 | Mark Glatt | 6/1 |
