Ain't Easy makes '22 debut in Oaks prep Sunday at Santa Anita

Undefeated Ain’t Easy will make her 3-year-old debut Sunday in Santa Anita's Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles.

A candidate for a 2021 Eclipse Award among 2-year-old fillies, Ain’t Easy will be making her first start in almost five months, since winning the Chandelier Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita by nearly five lengths last Oct. 1.

Prior to that, the $400,000 daughter of Into Mischief won her debut by 5 1/4 lengths at Del Mar on Aug. 21.

Phil D'Amato also entered Desert Dawn in the Santa Ysabel, which offers the winner 50 qualifying points to the Kentucky Oaks on May 6, and 20 to the runner-up, 10 to the third-place finisher and five to the fourth.

Desert Dawn, third by six lengths behind Ain’t Easy in the Chandelier and fourth despite a wide trip in the Starlet (G1) at Los Alamitos Dec. 4, worked six furlongs in 1:14.4 on Monday. Ain’t Easy breezed on Sunday.

"Ain’t Easy went really well,” said D’Amato, now tied with Bob Baffert for Santa Anita’s training lead with 21 victories each.

“I breezed Ain’t Easy three-quarters from the gate in like 1:14 (actual time was 1:14.6). It was a good drill. Kyle Frey breezed her but John Velazquez will ride her in the race.

“We had to clean up a tiny flake in her ankle,” D’Amato said in explaining Ain’t Easy’s prolonged absence. “We did that during the Breeders’ Cup (early last November). She never left the barn, and it looks great.”

The field for the Santa Ynez, race eight of nine with a 12:30 p.m. first post time: Desert Dawn, Umberto Rispoli, 15-1; Ain’t Easy, John Velazquez, 5-2; Miss Everything, Drayden Van Dyke, 20-1; Cairo Memories, Mike Smith, 8-1; Micro Share, Jessica Pyfer, 15-1; Fortunate Tensio, Abel Cedillo, 20-1; Eda, Juan Hernandez, 5-2; Classical Romance, Ryan Curatolo, 30-1; and Under the Stars, Flavien Prat, 8-5.